title: A general consideration of the importance of nutrition for critically ill patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Malnutrition is a common medical condition among intensive care unit patients. It should be monitored carefully, since early management of malnutrition can dramatically improve the medical condition of the patients. A general consideration of enteral feeding shows that it is much more useful than parenteral administration, because it is more physiological and poses a lower risk of hyperalimentation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, we scanned all files and personal information of patients hospitalized in intensive care units between 2009 and 2012 due to various medical conditions. We evaluated the nutritional status of patients with biochemical parameters that were retrieved from the files.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 198 patients were identified from hospital records. Almost every patient was given nutritional support either through enteral or parenteral feeding. The albumin levels of 56 patients did not increase, even when they were fed with calculated nutritional support (36.6%). The prealbumin levels of the patients had a tendency to increase after the provision of nutritional additives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In appropriately selected critically ill patients, the role of nutritional support in the management of nutritional deficiencies is important. In order to calculate proper feeding goals, a full nutritional assessment is necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Atatürk Research and Training Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. gurkandumlu@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ersin Gürkan
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Dumlu
authors.forename: Mesut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Özdedeoğlu
authors.forename: Birkan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokaç
authors.forename: Abdussamed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yalçin
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Öztürk
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiliç
mesh_terms: D016638:Critical Illness / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D018529:Nutritional Support; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total; D012189:Retrospective Studies