In the May issue of Nutrition in Clinical Practice (NCP) the issue focused on post intensive care unit care. This is a high acuity but often overlooked population. Some statistics suggest it can take up to 2-4 years to fully recover from an ICU admission1. This is especially important for those requiring nutrition support. An article in the journal evaluates the barriers associated with an ICU patient beyond discharge.
This article reviews the importance of nutrition support in preventing post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), the long-term physical, cognitive, and psychological impacts that frequently follow critical illness. The review reinforces that nutrition strategy should be phase specific. Early aggressive feeding is no longer recommended, with current evidence favoring hypocaloric feeding during the acute phase followed by progressive increases in energy and protein during recovery and rehabilitation. The article also highlights that many patients fail to meet protein and calorie needs after extubation because of poor appetite, dysphagia, fatigue, and GI intolerance, creating ongoing barriers to recovery2.
For Medtrition, this review supports the growing clinical focus as it relates to modular nutrition, allowing for customized care for specific clinical need rather than a formula only, one size fits all approach. Interventions that help clinicians deliver high protein requirements in low volumes, support rehabilitation goals, and address post-ICU nutrition challenges remain top priority as the clinicians shift from focusing simply on surviving critical illness to improving long-term recovery and quality of life.
To read the abstract and listen to the associated podcast, use the links below.
NCP Abstract
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
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Griffiths RD, Jones C. Recovery from intensive care. BMJ. 1999 Aug 14;319(7207):427-9. doi: 10.1136/bmj.319.7207.427. PMID: 10445926; PMCID: PMC1127042.
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Dupuis C, Preiser J-C, Busch RA, Coursin DB, Long MT. Nutrition interventions and post–intensive care syndrome: a narrative review. Nutr Clin Pract. 2026;41:375-392. doi:10.1002/ncp.70102
