Nutritional Challenges in Patients with Prolonged ICU Stay

Patients requiring a prolonged length of stay in the intensive care unit consume a disproportionate share of healthcare resources and can be a challenge to manage. The provision of nutritional support is standard practice in these patients and early administration of supplemental feeding has been shown to optimize patient outcomes. A Nestlé Nutrition Institute Satellite Symposium, held in conjunction with the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) 24th Annual Congress, discussed the role of clinical practice guidelines and the implementation of nutritional support in the management of critically ill patients.