[Recommendations and Innovations in Nutritional Medicine in Critically Ill Patients]

Abstract

Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is a key component of treatment in intensive care units (ICU) and plays a crucial role in the prognosis of critically ill patients. An individualized nutrition strategy is essential to meet the specific needs of critically ill patients and to minimize potential complications.Recommendations for MNT differ between the guidelines of the German Society for Nutritional Medicine (DGEM), the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN), and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.), making its implementation in clinical practice challenging. Therefore, the first part of this article provides a pragmatic summary of the current recommendations for everyday clinical practice. The second part focuses on recent data and how these might influence current paradigms of MNT for critically ill patients, with particular emphasis on phase-appropriate macronutrient delivery and combinations of nutrition with other interventions.