Objective: Malnutrition is a common condition in patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). Proper nutritional support is essential to reduce malnutrition-associated morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of different nutritional support techniques in ICUs on some nutritional and inflammatory biochemical parameters.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 143 patients with a history of admission to ICUs were divided into three groups according to form of nutritional therapy: oral nutritional supplementation (ONS), enteral tube feeding (ETF), and parenteral nutrition (PN). Patients’ demographic characteristics, length of stay in the ICU, length of nutritional support, serum prealbumin levels, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and transferrin levels at the time of nutritional supplementation initiation and treatment discontinuation were evaluated.

Results: The change in median serum prealbumin, CRP, and transferrin levels measured on days when nutritional therapy was initiated and terminated was not statistically significant (p=0.537, p=0.635, and p=0.073; respectively) in patients with ONS. Median prealbumin (0.14 vs. 0.21 mg/dL; p<0.001) and transferrin saturation (1.55% vs. 1.87%; p=0.001) levels significantly increased in patients who received ETF. In addition, median CRP (85.5 vs. 30.8 mg/L; p=0.001) levels significantly decreased. In patients with PN, only a significant increase in prealbumin level (0.10 vs. 0.13 mg/dL; p=0.003) was observed. The increases in CRP and transferrin saturation levels were not statistically significant (p=0.730 and p=0.243; respectively).

Conclusion: In the present study, a significant improvement was observed in the prealbumin, CRP, and transferrin levels in patients supported with ETF. However, similar improvement was not observed in patients with ONS.

Keywords: Enteral nutrition, intensive care units, nutritional support, parenteral nutrition