Inpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa and refeeding syndrome

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN), which is a complex disorder comorbid with many mental and physical disorders, can increase morbidity and mortality. With patients' denial and un-cooperativeness, and medical service providers' lack of knowledge about the recognition and the management of weight-related mental and physical conditions, AN treatment has remained a challenging task for both clinicians and researchers. Methods: In this overview article, we did a comprehensive review on published English articles addressing inpatient treatment of AN and refeeding syndrome, as well as behavioral management for nutritional rehabilitation during hospitalization. Results: We found that AN patients need an integrated treatment approach practiced in psychiatric inpatient settings. An effective AN treatment including supervised weight gain program, medical management of refeeding syndrome, behavioral management of compensatory behaviors, and psychosocial interventions by multidisciplinary team may promote substantial improvements in weight restoration, alleviation of physical discomforts, and normalization of eating behaviors. Conclusion: We anticipate that this overview article would bring more awareness and recognition of the ever-increasing number of patients with AN.