The significance of enteral nutrition in the intensive care unit patient.

The gut and its nonimmunologic and immunologic barriers have an important role in the survival of critically ill patients. Burns, hemorrhagic shock, intestinal obstruction, protein-calorie malnutrition, and several therapies (e.g., parenteral nutrition, steroids), used in critically ill patients are known to promote the breakdown of the mucosal barrier and to permit translocation of intestinal pathogens. Enteral nutrition, in conjunction with the use of certain immunostimulatory nutrients, can now be used to prevent or minimize damage to the mucosal barrier and to enhance its immunologic function in critically ill patients.