Early versus Late Parenteral Nutrition in Critically Ill Adults

Critical illness induces anorexia and the inability to eat normally, predisposing patients to serious nutritional deficits, muscle wasting, weakness, and delayed recovery. Whether artificial nutritional support improves the outcome for critically ill patients is unclear. The administration route, the time until the initiation of artificial nutrition, the number of calories, and the type of nutrients may be important.1?3 Enteral nutrition is associated with fewer complications than parenteral nutrition and is less expensive to administer.4?6 However, the use of enteral nutrition alone often does not achieve caloric targets.7 In addition, underfeeding is associated with weakness, infection,8 an increased duration . . .