The importance of nutritional support for the geriatric surgical patient.
An appropriately designed program of nutritional support will allow the geriatric  patient to undergo necessary surgical therapy with fewer risks and improved results. The selection of the route of administration and the specific agent(s) will depend on the functional status of the gastrointestinal tract as well as the patient's protein and calorie requirements. Table 6 summarizes our recommendations in the delection process. Our obvious preference is the gastrointestinal tract route if possible. When this optimum method of nutritional management is not available, sequential or concurrent supplemented feedings or intravenous hyperalimentation may be required to achieve adequate protein calorie intake. Regardless of the route chosen, careful monitoring of the geriatric patient's response to nutritional therapy is required. Only through careful planning and execution of nutritional therapy can optimum results be achieved in this group of patients.
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D002149:Energy Intake; D006801:Humans; D007412:Intestinal Fistula; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008722:Methods; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative; D014815:Vitamins; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance
D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D014815:Vitamins