New Nutrition Guidelines: Promoting Enteral Nutrition via a Nutrition Bundle

Malnutrition in hospitals is often overlooked, underdiagnosed, and untreated. Malnourished patients have increased risk for infection and pressure injuries, longer duration of mechanical ventilation, anemia, depressed cardiac and respiratory functions, and an overall higher risk for mortality. These complications contribute to longer hospital stays and higher health care costs. The benefits of early nutritional support in hospitals may be enhanced by use of a new nutrition care bundle that addresses all aspects of nutrition assessment and intervention. The bundle has 6 main components: assessment of malnutrition, initiation and maintenance of enteral nutrition, reduction of aspiration, implementation of enteral feeding protocols, avoiding the use of gastric residual volumes, and early initiation of parenteral nutrition when enteral feedings cannot be initiated. Implementing the nutrition bundle can help ensure that patients receive adequate nutrition during their hospital stay, thereby reducing adverse outcomes.