COVID-19 infection in patients with intestinal failure: U.K. experience.

BACKGROUND: The direct effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with intestinal failure (IF) has not been described. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide study of U.K. IF centres to evaluate the infection rates, presentations and outcomes in patients with types 2 and 3 IF. RESULTS: A total of 45 patients with IF contracted COVID-19 between March and August 2020; this included 26 of 2191 (1.2%) Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN)-dependent adults and 19 of 298 (6.4%) adults hospitalized with type 2 IF. The proportion of patients receiving nursing care for HPN administration was higher in those with community-acquired COVID-19 (66.7%) than the proportion in the entire HPN cohort (26.1%; p<0.01). Two HPN-dependent and 1 hospitalised patient with type 2 IF died as a direct consequence of the virus (6.7% of 45 patients with types 2 or 3 infected). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to describe the outcomes of COVID-19 in a large cohort of patients of requiring long term PN. Methods to reduce hospital and community nosocomial spread would likely be beneficia. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.