Korean J Community Nutr.  2022 Apr;27(2):121-131. 10.5720/kjcn.2022.27.2.121.

Nutritional Status of Intensive Care Unit Patients According to the Referral to the Nutrition Support Team and Compliance with the Recommendations

• Sohn Y
• Hyun T

• KMID: 2529477
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2022.27.2.121

Abstract

Objectives
This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the intervention of the nutrition support team (NST) on the nutritional status of critically ill patients.
Methods
The medical records of 176 adult patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit and received enteral or parenteral nutrition for more than 7 days were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were classified into the NST and non-NST groups according to whether they were referred to the NST or not. The NST group was further classified into the compliance and non-compliance groups depending on their compliance with the NST recommendations.
Results
The NST referral rate was 56.8%, and the rate of compliance with the NST recommendations was 47.0%. Significantly higher energy and protein were provided to the NST and the compliance groups than to the non-NST and the non-compliance groups. The proportion of patients who reached the target calories after the initiation of enteral nutrition was significantly higher in the NST and the compliance groups than in the non-NST and the non-compliance groups. The serum albumin and hemoglobin levels significantly decreased in every group, but the changes were significantly lower in the compliance group. The nutritional status at discharge from the intensive care unit compared to the status at admission was significantly worse in the NST, non-NST, and non-compliance groups. However, the status was maintained in the compliance group. The length of stay in the intensive care unit was significantly shorter in the compliance group.
Conclusions
Compliance with the NST recommendations was found to provide more calories and protein and prevent the deterioration of the nutritional status of critically ill patients. Therefore, effective communication between medical staff and the NST from the early stages of admission to the intensive care unit is needed to improve referrals to the NST and compliance with the recommendations.

Keyword

critically ill patients; nutritional status; nutrition support team; compliance