Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised clinical trials (RCTs).
Specific interventions included in the review
Any form of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) or enteral nutrition (EN). Standard or usual care included regimes such as
oral diet if tolerated with either intravenous dextrose or intravenous glucose with fluid.
Participants included in the review
Critically ill adults, including patients who have undergone major surgery. Studies of children, neonates, and
nonoperative cancer patients were excluded.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Infectious morbidity, length of stay, and mortality. Studies that only evaluated the impact of nutritional support on
nutritional outcomes (i.e., nitrogen balance, amino acid profile, etc.) were not included.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The author does not state how the papers were selected for review, or how many of the reviewers performed the
selection.