title: The importance of nutrition in critically ill patients.
abstract: Metabolic and physiologic changes during critical illness can be protective mechanisms for hospitalized patients but increases their risk for malnutrition. Clinicians must assess patients' nutritional status during acute illness and determine their need for nutritional support. By understanding the physiologic changes and patients' metabolic adaptations to stress, clinicians can choose the appropriate assessment tool and type of nutritional support needed to improve outcomes in critically ill patients.
authors.affiliation: Kristopher R. Maday is program director and an associate professor of the PA program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tenn., and holds a national board certification in nutrition. The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
authors.forename: Kristopher R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Maday
mesh_terms: D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009752:Nutritional Status