Nutritional support for critically ill patients.

The incidence of malnourishment in medical and surgical patients is well documented, yet it is obvious that sufficient and appropriate nourishment is as vital to life as the maintenance of effective respiration. The effects of malnourishment are seen in all systems of the body, and cause diminutions in mental and emotional well-being. The highly compromised states of critically ill patients places them at great risk from the adverse effects of sub-nutrition, and much responsibility lies with nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) to ensure such patients are protected. This article considers the key aspects of the nurse's role in the provision of artificial nutrition to adult patients in ICUs who are, by definition, critically ill.