Towards implementation of optimum nutrition and better clinical nutrition support.

Clinical Nutrition Support--defined as nutrition for hospitalized patients suffering from metabolic stress--plays a limited role in the therapeutic routine of the physician. This is not surprising as most research in the field of clinical nutrition is disappointing with regard to the objective outcomes: morbidity and mortality. These reflections advocate a more 'pharmaceutical approach' to nutrition in order to perform more proper studies on the potential effectiveness of this treatment modality. To provide all patients in the Academic Medical Centre (AMC) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with optimum clinical nutrition support, a Nutrition Support Team (NST) was established in 1996. This NST is coaching the dieticians and physicians in the AMC regarding clinical nutrition support. In practice this coaching consists of providing clear guidelines on what is supposed to be optimum nutrition, a basic course in parenteral nutrition and further continuous education. The concept of optimum nutrition is spread by the NST through various ways of education, both nationally and internationally. For adults, optimum nutrition is defined as the amount of protein, that stimulates whole body protein synthesis maximally (1.7 g/kg actual body weight) and covers anabolic energy need (35 kcal/kg actual body weight). The dietician is considered to be the expert in the field of optimum nutrition by oral, enteral or parenteral route. The Dietetic Department has increased its influence in the care of the patient by placing nutritional status and care on the chart of the patient's treatment. To provide optimal Nutrition Support for children and severe ill patients (Intensive care department) specialized teams were started which were co-ordinated by the central NST. The central NST has a co-ordinating and educating role, while the Specialized Nutrition Support Teams (Specialized NST) construct guidelines, undertake research and provide continuous optimum nutrition care. Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.