Nutrition in critical care

Abstract

Describe how to assess the nutritional risk of the critically ill patient. Discuss the risks and benefits of starting enteral nutrition (EN) in critical illness. Recall the indications for supplemental or total parenteral nutrition (PN).The optimal approach to nutrition in critical illness is unknown despite numerous RCTs over the past decade. This article is an update on previous articles in this journal on nutrition (2007) and parenteral nutrition (2013). 1,2

Nutrition support practices in the intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in Ghana

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Nutrition support has been recognised as an important therapy for attenuating the catabolic effects of critical illness. [1,2] This is because medical nutrition therapy aims to avoid malnutrition in wellnourished patients and prevent further deterioration in malnourished or high-risk individuals. [3] Studies have revealed that attenuation of the catabolic effects of critical illness is associated with improved outcomes in the intensive care unit (ICU).

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“…[4,5] Despite the benefits of medical nutrition therapy in the ICU, optimal nutrition approaches remain a challenge. [1,3,6] One of the challenges in achieving optimal nutrition support is variations in actual clinical nutrition practices [4,5,7] delivered to ICU patients. Implementation and adherence to nutrition support practice guidelines may not be as easy as it seems [5] and nutrition support is often overlooked in critical cases.…”