[Nutrition support in the chronic critically ill patients]

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Nutrition Science
• Immunology

Background:

• Chronic critically ill (CCI) is a growing challenge for intensive care unit (ICU) survivors.
• Advances in critical care have increased survival but led to more patients with persistent organ dysfunction.
• These patients exhibit immune dysregulation, characterized by inflammation, immunosuppression, and catabolism, leading to malnutrition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review nutritional assessment strategies for chronic critically ill (CCI) patients.
• To outline key nutritional interventions, including calorie and protein delivery, anabolic agents, and immunonutrients.
• To provide a reference for optimizing the nutritional management of CCI patients.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on nutritional assessment in CCI patients.
• Analysis of strategies for calorie and protein provision.
• Examination of micronutrient supplementation and immunomodulatory therapies.

Main Results:

• Malnutrition is a significant issue in CCI patients, necessitating tailored nutritional support.
• Key interventions include adequate calorie and protein intake, anabolic agents, and immunonutrients.
• Micronutrient supplementation and specific agents like beta-blockers and testosterone derivatives may be beneficial.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing nutritional support is critical for managing chronic critically ill (CCI) patients.
• A comprehensive approach involving assessment, adequate macronutrient delivery, and targeted supplementation is recommended.
• Further research into specific nutritional interventions for CCI is warranted.