A general consideration of the importance of nutrition for critically ill patients

Background/aim: Malnutrition is a common medical condition among intensive care unit patients. It should be monitored carefully, since early management of malnutrition can dramatically improve the medical condition of the patients. A general consideration of enteral feeding shows that it is much more useful than parenteral administration, because it is more physiological and poses a lower risk of hyperalimentation. Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, we scanned all files and personal information of patients hospitalized in intensive care units between 2009 and 2012 due to various medical conditions. We evaluated the nutritional status of patients with biochemical parameters that were retrieved from the files. Results: In total, 198 patients were identified from hospital records. Almost every patient was given nutritional support either through enteral or parenteral feeding. The albumin levels of 56 patients did not increase, even when they were fed with calculated nutritional support (36.6%). The prealbumin levels of the patients had a tendency to increase after the provision of nutritional additives. Conclusion: In appropriately selected critically ill patients, the role of nutritional support in the management of nutritional deficiencies is important. In order to calculate proper feeding goals, a full nutritional assessment is necessary.