Nutritional support: 
     includes:   
     the use of artificial feeding methods such as 
       tube   feeding    (Enteral   feeding),   total 
       parenteral      nutrition     (TPN)       and 
       administration of intravenous fluids. 
     Nutritional  support  means  the  provision  of 
       patient's dietary requirements
  Critically ill patients are often unable to eat because 
  of certain conditions:
  1-Endotracheal intubation. 
  2-The need for mechanical ventilation. 
  3-Altered level of consciousness as a result of severe 
   trauma, major surgery or acute medical condition. 
  Lack of nutrients may: 
  1-Alter the structure and function of the gut. 
  2-Increase  the  risk  of  entry  and  spread  of  intestinal 
   bacteria.
  Early nutritional support 
  for critically ill patients has been advocated to:
  1-Promote the immune system recovery
  2-prevent as much as tissue breakdown
  3-avoid nutritional deficit as possible 
  4-Improves patient outcomes.
  5-Enhances recovery from illness.
         Enteral Nutrition 
  • Enteral Nutrition or tube feeding is a way of providing 
   nutrition  support  via  the  GIT  for  patients  unable  to 
   otherwise meet nutrition requirements by the oral route. 
  • Enteral  feeding  has  several  advantages  over  total 
   parenteral nutrition:
  1. EN has been shown to be easier, safer and cheaper than 
    PN. 
  2. EF maintains the structure and functional integrity of 
    the  gastrointestinal  tract  by  intraluminal  delivery  of 
    nutrients and preventing atrophic changes. 
   3. EF preserves the normal sequence of intestinal and hepatic 
   metabolism,  fat  metabolism,  lipoprotein  synthesis  and 
   prevents cholestasis by stimulating bile flow.
   4. Maintains normal insulin / glucagon ratio. 
   5. Reduction in septic complications with EF compared with 
   PN. 
   6. EF improves systemic immunity and lower infection risk. 
   7.  Prevents  translocation  of  bacteria  into  the  systemic 
   circulation and reduce the incidence of sepsis.