Author Description

Patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) require immediate and intensive clinical care, thus becoming indispensable the elaboration and use of nutritional assessment protocols, aiming at monitoring changes in the nutritional status during hospitalization. A well-defined nutritional diagnosis favors a nutritional therapy pertinent to the current clinical picture of the patient, with individualized caloric and protein goals, aiming a better clinical outcome. We conducted an integrative literature review including subjective and objective methods, providing the synthesis of knowledge and the incorporation of the applicability of results of significant studies in practice. Nutritional therapy is an integral part of patient care in intensive care units. Its success involves the steps of nutritional assessment, determination of calorie and nutrients needs, decision of the infusion route and the type of diet used.