Nutrition in patients with burn injuries in the intensive care unit

Authors discuss the choices of nutritional support in patient after severe burn injury during the last three decades. Severe burn injury presents one of the most critical states of starvation under a severe stress to the organism. Timely and appropriate metabolic intervention can positively influence the hypermetabolism, which is a common reaction after an injury. Burn injury causes a long-term reaction with a great risk of multiple organ dysfunction (requirement to perform repeated dressing changes under general anesthesia, repeated surgeries, and infections). Incorporation of a nutritional support is based on the knowledge of pathophysiology and metabolic response to injury, and is influenced by choice of nutrition substrates and by possibility of its administration.