Nutrition is Critical.

Abstract

Are they hungry?” is a frequent concern expressed by friends and family members in regard to patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU). Although the question seems to focus on patients’ comfort, we know that nutrition in critical illness plays a key role in patients’ outcomes. The 2016 clinical guidelines on nutrition support therapy from the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition and the Society of Critical Care Medicine (ASPEN-SCCM) include a recommendation for the early initiation of enteral feeding in critically ill adults who are unable to eat. Enteral feeding is a cost-effective strategy for preventing malnutrition, a common complication in acute care, and has the added benefits of maintaining the gastrointestinal tract’s integrity and promoting immune function. The study by Vest et al, showing that patients who had an order for enteral nutrition had a lower risk of death regardless of their body mass index, is further evidence of the value of enteral feeding.Although addressing nutrition is an intraprofessional responsibility, the implementation of enteral feeding relies on nursing expertise. Nurses assess patients’ tolerance of feedings, make decisions about feeding interruptions, and intervene to maintain feeding tube patency. By ensuring that these actions are aligned with current evidence, we deliver care that promotes the best possible outcomes for our patients and, might, at the same time, ease any concern about the discomfort of hunger.