Nutritional support of the critically ill patient: bedside strategies for successful patient outcomes

The critical care bedside practitioner is in a key position for early recognition of a patient at nutritional risk and is responsible for initiating collaboration with other disciplines when appropriate. An adequate knowledge-base related to the critically ill patient's nutritional needs and the recent research supporting the best techniques to provide nutritional support is essential to achieve optimal patient outcomes. This article provides the experienced practitioner with the necessary information to initiate and implement a nutritional plan of care for critically ill patients. A working model for practice will be presented to enhance bedside decision making related to nutritional support.