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Review article: artificial nutritional support for improved patient care
C R Pennington1, J Powell-Tuck, J Shaffer
1Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK.
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
|October 1, 1995
Summary
Artificial nutritional support improves outcomes for malnourished hospital patients. This review covers artificial nutrition methods, including enteral and parenteral nutrition, and guidelines for patient management.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Nutrition
- Gastroenterology
- Hospital Medicine
Background:
- Malnutrition is prevalent and often undiagnosed in hospitalized patients, leading to adverse outcomes like impaired organ function and extended hospital stays.
- Artificial nutritional support is crucial for malnourished patients, those unable to consume a normal diet, and individuals with intestinal failure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current status of artificial nutritional support.
- To provide guidelines for managing patients requiring nutritional support.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on artificial nutritional support.
- Discussion of advancements in nutrient delivery, including percutaneous endoscopic feeding devices.
- Exploration of enteral and parenteral nutrition strategies.
Main Results:
- Artificial nutritional support improves nutritional status and clinical outcomes in malnourished patients.
- Enteral feeding is viable even in patients with gastric stasis.
- Peripheral parenteral nutrition can meet nutrient needs.
Conclusions:
- Gastroenterologists play a key role in managing intestinal failure and nutritional support teams.
- There is ongoing interest in novel substrates like glutamine and arginine for disease modulation.
- Many hospitals require organized approaches to artificial nutritional support to prevent inadequate treatment.