[A special nutrition case: the infected patient]

Severe septicemia is commonly a catabolic disease process with increased energy demands and enhanced protein degradation. Septic ICU-patients are on the one hand dependent on a sufficient substrate application; on the other hand, however, the organism's tolerance against exogenous substrate application is very often diminished in these patients because of varying organ insufficiencies. Because septicemia is not a uniform type of illness with predictable organ dysfunctions, it is not possible to give recommendations for a specific nutritional diet in septic patients. Nutritional management must be adapted individually according to the type and the degree of organ dysfunctions associated with septicemia.