Nutritional needs of the acutely ill with acute wounds.

The purpose of nutritional support in the critically ill is to blunt the effects of the stress response, to preserve musculature and organ function, and to promote hepatic protein synthesis, tissue regeneration, and wound healing. Adequate nutritional support is vital to the patient with acute wounds. This article addresses the body's response to physiologic stress and reviews means of supporting nutritional status and the substrates used to maximize nutritional therapy. The critical care nurse will have a better appreciation for how and when to implement nutritional therapy, appropriate nutrients, and methods for monitoring nutritional status.