Clinical practice of nutritional support in Dutch intensive care units: a survey.
INTRODUCTION: Nutritional support in intensive care units (ICUs) has received increasing attention in the last few decades. We performed a national survey to establish the current practice with respect to nutritional support in Dutch ICUs. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to all Dutch ICUs. The design of the study was a 1-day point prevalence study. RESULTS: The response rate of the ICUs was 51% (74/144). Eighty-eight percent of the questionnaires returned (65/74) were suitable for data analysis. The total number of patients present on the ICU on the given day was 354 and their mean age was 59.2+/-1.0 years. Sixty-nine percent of the patients (246) received nutritional support: enteral in 206 patients (58%), parenteral in 59 patients (17%), and a combination of the two in 19 patients (5%). The percentage of patients receiving nutritional support and the route of administration were dependent on the reason for admission to the ICU. Nutritional support was started after a mean of 1.3+/-0.1 days after admission to the ICU. One hundred and four patients (29%) received no nutritional support after a mean admission period of 1.6+/-0.1 days. For 193 patients (54%), the nutritional support met the nutritional requirements, for 145 patients (41%) it did not, and 17 respondents (5%) had no opinion. CONCLUSION: Nutritional support is provided to the majority of critically ill patients. Enteral feeding is more common than parenteral nutrition.
Verhage
Albert H.
AH
Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, 3300, AH Dordrecht, The Netherlands
van Vliet
Adrie C.M.
AC