Nutritional Support: Type (Standard versus Enhanced) (UPDATE IN PROCESS)

Published 2003

Level 1

No recommendations

Level 2

No recommendations

Level 3

  1. The use of enteral formulations enhanced with “adequate” doses of arginine and glutamine appears to reduce length of stay and septic morbidity in severely injured trauma patients (ISS >20, ATI >25). The precise doses of and lengths of treatment with arginine and glutamine required to obtain this effect have not yet been determined. Whether an additional benefit is gained from further supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, nucleotides, and trace elements is unclear.
  2. No recommendations can be made at this time regarding the role of enhanced enteral formulations in patients with severe burns.