ABSTRACT
Poor nutrition and weight loss, with an attendant depletion of body protein are frequent occurrences in surgical patients. This is a serious problem because many studies have shown that poor nutritional status is generally associated with decreased survival. The protein loss can occur either before surgery as a consequence of the presurgery disease process or as a result of trauma or sepsis. Nutritional support focuses on ensuring that the body's protein metabolism is functioning normally and is capable of responding to the initial injury and the subsequent associated recovery processes. Other chapters in this volume describe the clinical details; the purpose of this chapter is to discuss why so much emphasis is placed on protein metabolism.
