Objective To determine the factors that influence the adequacy of enteral nutritional therapy in an intensive care unit.Methods This prospective observational study was conducted in an intensive care unit between 2010 and 2012. Patients >18 years of age underwent exclusive enteral nutritional therapy for ≥72 hours. The energy and protein requirements were calculated according to the ICU protocols. The data regarding enteral nutrition, the causes of non-compliance, and the biochemical test results were collected daily.Results Ninety-three patients admitted to the intensive care unit were evaluated. Among these patients, 82% underwent early enteral nutritional therapy, and 80% reached the nutritional goal in <36 hours. In addition, 81.6%±15.4% of the enteral nutrition volume was infused, with an adequacy of 82.2%±16.0% for calories, 82.2%±15.9% for proteins, and a mean energy balance of -289.9±277.1kcal/day. A negative correlation of C-reactive protein with the volume infused and the energy and protein balance was observed. In contrast, a positive correlation was found between C-reactive protein and the time required to reach nutritional goals. Extubation was the main cause for interrupting the enteral nutritional therapy (29.9% of the interruption hours), and the patients >60 years of age exhibited a lower percentage of recovery of the oral route compared with the younger patients (p=0.014).Conclusion Early enteral nutritional therapy and the adequacy for both energy and protein of the nutritional volume infused were in accordance with the established guidelines. Possible inadequacies of energy and protein balance appeared to be associated with an acute inflammatory response, which was characterized by elevated C-reactive protein levels. The main cause of interruption of the enteral nutritional therapy was the time spent in extubation.

This book, comprising 24 chapters, proposes in an interdisciplinary way to present updated technical content from different areas such as nutrition, nursing, psychology, pharmacy and occupational therapy. The main objective of this work is to contribute to the clinical professional practice in oncology, as well as, to the training of students in the health field. The contents were carefully selected, compiled and approached in a didactic way, so that they provide an intuitive and pleasant reading. Starting from the molecular basis, risk and nutrition factors and cancer prevention, going through screening and nutritional assessment, since diet therapy treatment, symptom control, main nutritional problems and palliative care, and even spirituality, with the nutritional approach for adults and pediatric patients as one of its strengths. This way, readers are invited to enjoy the knowledge shared by experienced health professionals and researchers, who work in oncology. In addition to these experiences, valuable reports are presented from patients who have experienced (or are experiencing) cancer treatment, with the aim of bringing the reader closer to a different perspective of this multidimensional reality. It is known that the experience of an oncological treatment is accompanied by varied emotions and feelings for everyone involved, both for the team of professionals and for family members, in addition to the role of the patients themselves. And that is why, from the different spectrums covered, it is expected to help the professional performance in this ascending area of health to occur even more in a holistic and humanized way.