Evidence-Based Practices in Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition in Surgical Patients and Nursing Care

Malnutrition is a major problem in surgery patients. Patients undergoing surgery face many physiological and metabolic changes that may affect nutritional status. Postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia may problem those performing even minor operations, but infection, wound healing and catabolism may create more difficulties for patients after major surgeries. These problems are more important for surgical patients with nutritional deficiencies. Patients who are undernourished have a high risk of postoperative complications and death. Malnutrition can adversely affect the functioning of many organ systems such as the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, heart, and lungs. In these patients, muscle strength and immune function are also damaged and more vulnerable to infections. Wound healing, mobilization and postoperative recovery time are delayed. All these elements can cause to length of hospital stay, higher readmission rates, and rising healthcare costs. Nutrition can be administered orally, enterally and parenterally according to the patient's medical condition and needs. Enteral and parenteral nutrition should be provided if the oral route is not available. Early oral feeding is the preferred form of nutrition for patients in the postoperative period. Enteral nutrition is more preferred than parenteral nutrition as it protects gastrointestinal function and increases blood flow. It is every nurse’s duty to provide that patients take access to safe, proper and enough nutrition and fluids in postoperative time. In this review, evidence-based practices of enteral and parenteral nutrition before and after surgery and nursing care were evaluated