ABSTRACT
Nutrition is fundamental to health, providing energy for body function, repair of damaged tissue and healing. Mortality rates reflect malnutrition (Kennedy, 1997), yet up to 40 per cent of hospital patients remain malnourished (Pearce and Duncan, 2002). Some patients are malnourished on admission, but many become more, rather than less, malnourished during their hospital stay (McWhirter and Pennington, 1994). Critically ill patients may
■ Be unable to eat ■ Be nil by mouth ■ Have diets restricted by disease (e.g. renal diets) ■ Have poor appetites (e.g. from nausea or pain).
