Nutrition in the critical care settings of renal diseases

Acute catabolic events during the course of renal dysfunction lead to exacerbation of nutritional abnormalities often present in these patients. Whether the renal failure is acute or chronic, the nutritional management of these patients is extremely challenging. Traditional methods of nutritional assessment must be extrapolated to include the effects of the renal dysfunction and renal replacement therapy being used. Cases of patients with acute renal failure, chronic renal failure with an acute insult, pancreas-kidney transplant recipient with delayed graft function, and a liver transplant recipient who developed renal failure are reviewed with emphasis on the nutritional management during the course of illness. Monitoring techniques are reviewed, and comparisons are made to other nutrition support protocols.