title: [Project to attain the ideal caloric intake level in critical patients within a 72-hour period].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Early enteral nutrition and receiving more than 70% of the ideal caloric intake level has been shown to reduce patient infection rates, duration of hospital stays, and mortality. Only 40.6% of patients in our surgical intensive care unit were achieving the ideal caloric intake level.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This project was designed to raise the ratio of those achieving an ideal caloric intake level from 40.6% to 70%.
  
  
  METHODS
  Strategies included: (1) providing education related to nutrition, (2) establishing an enteral nutrition flowchart and popularizing and carrying out the enteral nutrition flowchart, (3) discussing together with doctors and nutritionists about feeding conditions, and (4) revising standard procedures for the NG feeding of critical patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy percent of patients in the surgical intensive care unit achieved their ideal caloric intake level after implementation of this intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This project used interdisciplinary cooperation to improve caloric intake among patients in the surgical intensive care unit. The intervention and results may be used as a reference by hospitals for improving patient caloric intake and hospital quality of care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Su-Fen
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Taiwan, ROC. u97540004@kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Lin-Chi
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Hseu-Fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Jane-Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Hsing-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D016638:Critical Illness; D002149:Energy Intake; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D006801:Humans; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: critical patients; enteral nutrition; ideal caloric intake