Refeeding Syndrome

The body requires nutrition to stay alive, but in the case of refeeding syndrome, the food entering the body might actually lead to hurtful effects.

Refeeding syndrome

Refeeding syndrome occurs when a person who used to suffer from malnutrition, especially for a long time, starts to have nutritious food again.

Causes of refeeding syndrome

• During the malnutrition phase, the body makes certain modifications to compel it to adapt to the nutrition shortages, and by that, the body actually gets used to the low income of nutrients. Therefore, when the malnourished person begins to have nutritious food again, the body starts to reach out for the stores that are already low in the essential nutrients, and when the body finds the almost empty stores, then the refeeding syndrome might happen, and the symptoms of the low concentrations of nutrients begin to manifest.

Symptoms of refeeding syndrome

• Several forms of refeeding syndrome might occur, but the most common one is the phosphate deficiency, which causes muscle weakness, swallowing problems, trouble breathing, double vision, cardiomyopathy, seizures, and coma. In severe cases, phosphate deficiency might cause organ failure and even death.
• Magnesium deficiency might also occur and cause anorexia, nausea and vomiting, muscle spasms, tremors, cardiac ischemia, arrhythmia, seizures, and coma.
• Severe potassium deficiency causes muscle weakness and cramps, fatigue, severe constipation, respiratory failure, and arrhythmia.
• Vitamin B₁ (thiamin) deficiency causes vision problems, delirium, hypothermia, ataxia, amnesia, and confabulation.
• Hypoglycemia due to reintroducing glucose to the body.
• Changes in the balance of water and sodium, which might either lead to dehydration or fluid overload.

Diagnoses of refeeding syndrome

• Monitoring vital signs during refeeding.
• Blood tests.

Treatment of refeeding syndrome

• Healthcare providers study the patient’s condition carefully before starting the feeding process in order to avoid the refeeding syndrome as much as possible and continue to monitor the patient.
• If refeeding symptoms start to manifest, the refeeding will be slowed down and the feeding formula will be adjusted as needed.