Nutritional support of the burn patient.

Nutritional support of the burn patient is essential to optimize host immune defenses and to promote prompt wound healing. The interdependent relationship between metabolism, nutrition, and infection is discussed, followed by an extensive description of the various means of determining the appropriate type, form, and amount of nutritional support to provide to patients of various ages and with differing burn sizes. A concise discussion of the role of various growth factors and micronutrients completes this article.