Nutrition support in intensive care units (ICUs) is accepted as an integral part of patient care; however, feeding remains a low priority compared with other ICU treatments. Approximately 52,000 patients die of Traumatic Brain Injury each year and approximately 85% of the deaths occur within the first 2 weeks. Closed head injury is one of the most highly catabolic illnesses in ICU patients. Nutritional support for acutely head-injured patients is sometimes delayed until gastrointestinal function has returned to normal in the post injury period and these patients frequently have longer stays in the ICU, and causes of this beyond the severity of the brain injury include the presence of infectious complications, sepsis and acute malnutrition. A total of 21 severe head injury (SHI) adult patients with a Glascow Coma Scale score of 5-8, admitted at Critical Care Unit, Kenyatta National Hospital between January-March 2012, were included in the prospective quasi experimental, one group (pre-post test) study design. This book sought to establish the outcomes of Enteral Nutrition supplementation of SHI adult ICU patients and the findings are discussed herein.

Autorentext

Hellen is a holder of MSc. (Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics) and Bed. (Home Economics) degrees from Kenyatta University. She is currently employed by Kenyatta National Hospital in Kenya as a Nutritionist based in the Critical Care Unit (CCU). Hellen is currently in the process of enrolling for a Ph.D course in Nutrition and Dietetics.