Malnutrition in Intensive Care Units: An Important Risk Factor for Intensive Care Unit-Acquired Infections

Intensive care units have the highest prevalence of nosocomial infections in hospitals. Good nutritional support is essential to prevent nosocomial infections. However, malnutrition is a common and important problem in intensive care units, especially in developing countries. For the prevention of malnutrition, a team approach is needed. Immunonutrition is nutrition that affects the immune response in various ways and increases the strength of the immune system. Pharmaconutrition is the administration of immunonutrients over the daily recommended doses that act like pharmacological agents and drugs. The major immunonutrients are glutamine, arginine, omega-3 fatty acids, nucleotides, antioxidants (selenium, vitamin E, vitamin C, zinc, copper, and Nacetyl cysteine), probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics. The aim of this review is to highlight the pathophysiology and role of malnutrition in intensive care unit-acquired infections (ICU-AIs) and the use of immunonutrients to prevent ICU-AIs. (Yogun Bakim Derg 2014; 5: 36-42)