title: Enteral nutrition in sepsis patients.
abstract: Sepsis, with its associated complications, is a leading cause of death in intensive care units. It is a major public health problem world-wide. The altered metabolism, severe condition and specific organ failure in sepsis patients get entangled in a vicious circle. Their treatment should invariably include nutritional support. The present survey summarizes the sepsis-induced metabolic changes so that they can be adequately compensated by nutritional support using specialized enteral formulas. We argue the necessity of introducing new efficient formulas as part of the so called immunonutrition. The basic requirements these formulas should meet are: 1. to provide sufficient amount of protein and energy substrate that can preserve the muscle function; 2. to be a source of substances that stimulate and protect enterocytes with restriction of bacterial translocation; 3. to help keep the liver function normal; 4. by including various substances with immunomodulating features to prevent and compensate the disturbances in the immune response.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Therapy, St. George University Hospital, 66 Peshtersko chossee blvd, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Chavdar St
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Stefanov
authors.forename: Nikolay P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Boyadzhiev
authors.forename: Angel P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Uchikov
authors.forename: Rosen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dimov
authors.forename: Plamen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mandev
authors.forename: Radko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Terzhumanov
mesh_terms: D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods*; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006801:Humans; D018805:Sepsis / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism