Review
Parenteral nutrition in injury
M. M. Mughal
University of Manchester School of Medicine, Hope Hospital, Salford
INTRODUCTION
IT has long been recognized that following even
moderately severe injury patients lose weight, mainly
as a result of reduction in the muscle bulk. The loss of
weight occurs even in the presence of an apparently
normal intake of food. The problem is compounded
if, for any reason, the patient cannot eat, for example
if he or she is being mechanically ventilated or if the
gastrointestinal tract has been injured and requires
resting. Yet it is the experience of clinicians dealing
with the injured patient that the majority of patients
do not require any special nutritional support to
recover from their injuries and that the lost weight is
soon regained following resumption of normal activity.
However, some patients continue to lose weight and
progress poorly and in such cases nutritional support
has to be considered.
Which patients should