Nutrition therapy for critically ill patients - Five key problems

Background & aims

A pragmatic trial and its secondary analyses have demonstrated that nutritional care not only reduces complications but also significantly improves survival in medical patients at risk of malnutrition. In contrast, for critically ill patients comparable evidence is scarce. Consequently, many propositions for refining the research agenda and study design in the field of critical care nutrition have already been made. The aim of this paper is to elucidate further critical problems in nutritional care.

Methods

Critical appraisal of the literature from the past 70 years.

Results

We identified five key problems: 1. The immunologic background of catabolism 2. The energy goal during the acute phase 3. The quantification of endogenous substrate production 4. The incorporation of clinical and biological data into the study design, and 5. The energy goal and cardiopulmonary exercise testing during the recovery phase.

Conclusions

The solution of these problems should supplement the propositions made by other authors and is essential to improving nutrition during and after critical care.