Nutrition Support of Adult Patients With Enterocutaneous Fistula

Publication Date: December 2, 2016

Last Updated: March 14, 2022

Recommendations

We suggest the following:

Malnutrition be diagnosed by nutrition history, including unintentional weight loss and estimation of energy/nutrient intake, and physical examination.
Assessment for malnutrition be conducted at the time of diagnosis of an ECF. If malnutrition is not present at baseline, periodic nutrition assessment is warranted as patients with fistulas have a high likelihood of becoming malnourished due to nutrient malabsorption, fluid and electrolyte losses, and sepsis.
Serum protein concentrations be obtained prior to and during nutrition therapy since they are prognostic outcome indicators, yet are not sensitive nutrition markers.

(, VL - Very Low)

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Nutrition Support of Adult Patients With Enterocutaneous Fistula