Fasting in the ICU: a metabolic key to immune response?
NCT ID NCT07738536
First seen Jul 31, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026
Summary
This study investigates what happens when critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are not given nutrition for the first 72 hours after admission. Researchers will measure ketone bodies in the blood and examine how immune cells respond, comparing these patients to those receiving standard care. The goal is to understand whether short-term fasting induces ketosis and alters immune function in critical illness, which could inform future nutrition strategies in the ICU.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Delayed nutrition (withholding enteral/parenteral nutrition and glucose solutions for the first 72 hours in the ICU)
- What this could lead to
- If this trial succeeds, it could reveal whether short-term fasting in critically ill patients is safe and beneficial, potentially guiding ICU nutrition practices to improve recovery.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage substudy focused on biological markers, not clinical outcomes. Results may not translate to better patient outcomes, and fasting could pose risks in some critically ill patients.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge
Stockholm, 14186, Sweden
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