Ann Clin Nutr Metab.  2022 Dec;14(2):66-71. 10.15747/ACNM.2022.14.2.66.

Provision of Enteral Nutrition in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit: A Multicenter Prospective Observational Study

• Park CH
• Lee HJ
• Hong SK
• Jun YH
• Lee JW
• Choi NJ
• Kyoung KH

• KMID: 2536436
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15747/ACNM.2022.14.2.66

Abstract

Purpose
Timely enteral nutrition (EN) is important in critically ill patients. However, use of EN with critically ill surgical patients has many limitations. This study aimed to analyze the current status of EN in surgical intensive care units (ICUs) in South Korea.
Materials and Methods
A multicenter, prospective, observational study was conducted on patients who received EN in surgical ICUs at four university hospitals between August 2021 and January 2022.
Results
This study included 125 patients. The mean time to start EN after admission to the surgical ICU was 6.2±4.6 days. EN was provided to 34 (27.2%) patients within 3 days after ICU admission. At 15.7±15.9 days, the target caloric requirement was achieved by 74 (59.2%) patients through EN alone. Furthermore, 104 (83.2%) patients received supplemental parenteral nutrition after a mean of 3.5±2.1 days. Only one of the four hospitals regularly used enteral feeding tubes and post-pyloric feeding tubes.
Conclusion
Establishing EN guidelines for critically ill surgical patients and setting an appropriate insurance fee for EN-related devices, such as the feeding pump and enteral feeding tube, are necessary.

Keyword

Enteral nutrition; Intensive care units; Parenteral nutrition