title: Orally fed patients are at high risk of calorie and protein deficit in the ICU.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Malnutrition can lead to serious complications in the ICU. Less than half of patients admitted to ICU require ventilation and for many, their optimal route of feeding is oral medical nutrition therapy, rather than enteral or parenteral nutrition. Inadequate oral intake is a prevalent and often difficult problem within this population, as increased calorie deficits are common in the ICU and associated with worse outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consuming less than 75% of daily calorie requirements in the hospital setting is associated with worse outcomes. Unfortunately, oral intake is often inadequate. Little is known about the consequences of inadequate oral intake in the ICU; however, data have described worse outcomes with large calorie deficits from enteral and parenteral nutrition. Whether or not these data can be extrapolated to patients in the ICU with poor oral intake remains uncertain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite evidence-based guidelines directing the delivery of nutrition support in the ICU, there is limited research focused on oral intake during this time of hospitalization. Future research is needed to determine the long-term associations of inadequate versus adequate oral intake in the ICU.
authors.affiliation: Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. sarah_j_peterson@rush.edu
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Sheean
authors.forename: Carol L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Braunschweig
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins