Comparison of Clinical Outcomes According to High-protein Provision in Critically Ill Patients After Abdominal Surgery

The participants in active nutritional supplementation arm received consultation from the nutritional support team (NST) upon ICU admission, and nutritional supplementation was initiated on the same day. NST is a multidisciplinary support team comprised of physicians, nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists, which assesses the nutritional status of patients, and provides recommendations for nutritional therapy. Targets in the participants in active protein supplementation arm were protein supplementation at over 1.5 g/kg/day during first 3 days after ICU admission. Actual body weight was used as the body weight for patients with a percent of ideal body weight (PIBW) of less than 120%, while adjusted body weight was used for patients with a PIBW greater than or equal to 120%.

The participants in conventional protein supplementation arm received conservative nutritional management without specific protein targets.