Nutrition and Supplements Foundations

Nutrition affects nearly every recovery process a nurse observes. Inadequate energy intake forces the body to use stored fat and then muscle protein; muscle loss can weaken cough, mobility, and the ability to perform activities of daily living. Protein deficiency also slows collagen formation and immune responses, so wounds may heal slowly and infections may be harder to contain. Fluid and electrolyte intake influence circulation, neurological function, cardiac conduction, and bowel activity. A patient who is vomiting, has diarrhoea, cannot swallow safely, or is receiving diuretics can become clinically unstable before the weight change is obvious. Conversely, oedema or ascites can conceal loss of body tissue, so a normal or high body weight does not exclude malnutrition. The cause matters as much as the amount eaten. Poor intake may result from nausea, pain, depression, dementia, oral disease, dysphagia, medication effects, food insecurity, or an inability to open packages and feed independently. Treating only the calorie deficit will not correct the problem if the patient cannot chew, is aspirating, or lacks access to food. A severely undernourished patient can also deteriorate...