How Have Nutrition Practices in the ICU Changed in the Last Decade (2011-2020): A Scoping Review

Cureus. 2021 Jun 3;13(6):e15422. doi: 10.7759/cureus.15422. eCollection 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Malnutrition is more prevalent in the critically ill than ambulatory patients due to a variety of factors. Strategies employed in the optimization of nutrition practices rely largely on the review of published literature and guidelines. While the last decade was marked by some landmark large randomized controlled trials taking place and some high-quality systematic reviews, it still has left us with many unanswered questions. The evidence generated by these trials can, to a good extent, extrapolate to the developed countries. However, its implementation in developing and third-world countries needs further elaboration and logistical considerations. With this scoping review, we attempt to provide insights into the landmark developments in the decade 2011-2020. Solutions to employ and implement the results of these developments and ways for their corroboration into a larger population are also discussed.

Keywords: early enteral nutrition (een); enteral and parenteral nutrition; icu; medical intensive care unit (micu); nutrition in critical care.

Publication types

  • Review