Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access

Implementation of the dieticians recommendations on enteral energy and protein intakes improved head injury patients recovery in the neurosurgery ICU

6^th International Conference and Exhibition on Nutrition

September 14-16, 2016 San Antonio, USA

Fatemeh Ramezani Kapourchali

University of Manitoba, Canada

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nutr Food Sci

Abstract :

Underfeeding is a common problem in head injury patients in intensive care units (ICUs). This study investigated the effects of implementing of dietician recommendations on early and better provision of enteral nutrition in head injury patients admitted to the neurosurgery ICU. Forty-eight consecutive patients were divided into two groups of 24 patients each. In the first group, patients were fed based on physician��?s orders without any nutritional assessment and based on patient��?s tolerance. In the implementation group, each patient was fed based on nutritional requirements assessed by a dietician. Collected data included the time of initiation of feeding, the actual amounts of daily energy and protein intake on day 4 of hospitalization, the duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay for patients in both groups. The findings showed that the timing of initiation of enteral nutrition decreased significantly in patients after implementation. Additionally, patients under dietician's recommendation received more energy and protein on day 4 of feeding. Clinical outcomes including length of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay decreased non-significantly after implementation. The study showed that the presence of a dietician improved the energy and protein intake and the timing of initiation of feeding in head injury patients in ICU care unit team to improve the rate of undernutrition in head.

Biography :

Email: ramezanf@myumanitoba.ca