The Global Research Initiative on Post-ICU Nutrition (GRIP) strengthened its international collaboration with the first Chinese GRIP meeting, held during the 19th Congress of the Chinese Society of Critical Care Medicine (CSCCM2025). GRIP Vice-chair Prof. Arthur van Zanten met with leading Chinese intensivists – Professors Chen Dechang, Li Weiqin, An Youzhong, Ke Lu, and Gao Lin – to advance joint research on nutrition and recovery after intensive care.

Plans include a nationwide multicentre observational study (Phase 1) to investigate long-term outcomes such as quality of life and functional recovery in post-ICU patients. This will be followed by Phase 2, the Nutrition Promotion Strategy, which aims to optimise practical nutritional support in the Chinese context, with the first patient recruitment expected in late 2025 (2×125 patients).

In addition, the ongoing ABLE trial is examining the effect of daily oral nutritional supplements (ONS) for three months after ICU discharge. Coordinated by Prof. Ke Lu in Nanjing, these initiatives are supported by the ICU Nutrition Network and the Pancreatitis Network.
“This collaboration reflects GRIP’s mission to deliver global, evidence-based solutions for post-ICU nutrition,” said Prof. van Zanten. “Working together with our Chinese colleagues is an important step towards improving recovery and long-term outcomes for ICU survivors worldwide.”