Evaluation of enteral nutritional status and affecting factors in intansive care patients

It is known that nutrition methods applied to patients monitored in intensive care units are just as important as medical treatments. It was demonstrated that wound healing improved, immune sufficiency was regained in patients who were nourished at a sufficient level, and the morbidity and morbidity rates increased in cases who were not nourished at a sufficient level. This study is carried out for the purpose of evaluating the enteral nutritional status in intensive care patients and the factors affecting it. This study began to be conducted after ethics committee. 50 cases staying at general Intensive Care Unit and Neurology Intensive Case Clinic who attained the age of 18 were included in the study. The forms employed were re-evaluated by the researcher at the admission of the patient to the intensive care unit, in the 1st week and 2nd week. The patient evaluation consists of two sections, being sociodemographic and metabolic control variables. In the metabolic control variables, as an anthropometric measurement, the upper arm circumference, body weight, and intake-output were recorded by taking the value at the admission to the service, in the 1st week and 2nd week. In order to measure the body weight, firstly, the empty bed was weighed, then, it was weighed together with the patient after taking the patient to the bed, and the net weight of the patient was reached by calculating the difference between them. Among the biochemical measurements, the serum albumin value was measured at arrival, on the 3rd day, in the 1st week, 2nd week and later, prealbumin was measured at arrival, on the 3rd day, in the 1st week and 2nd week and later. It was determined that the decreases occurring in the body weight (p<0,05), upper arm circumference (p<0,05), albumin level (p<0,05), prealbumin level (p<0,05) of the patients included in the study were statistically significant. However, the changes occurring in the intake-output were not determined to be statistically significant (p>0,05). Consequently, a significant result was achieved as a result of the anthropometric and biochemical measurements in our study. More cases and more comprehensive studies on this subject are required. Keywords: Enteral nutrition, intensive care, complication