Enteral and parenteral nutrition in the seriously ill, hospitalized patient: a critical review of the evidence.

Providing nutritional support has become a standard component of managing seriously ill patients. While many studies have documented that providing nutrition support can change nutritional outcomes (amino acid profile, weight gain, nitrogen balance, etc.), there are limited da ta that demonstrate that nutrition support actually influences clinicall y important endpoints. The purpose of this paper is to systematically r eview and critically appraise the literature to examine the relationship between nutritional support and morbidity and mortality in the seriously ill patient. As a product of this critical appraisal of the evidence, clinical recommendations based on rules of evidence are put forward.