Estudio observacional de la terapia nutricional en pacientes críticos de Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) del Hospital Vicente Corral Moscoso de la ciudad de Cuenca, 2021

Background: The critical patient has been a challenge in the ICU due to the high rate of morbidity, mortality and complications. Nutritional therapy is important because its adequate administration has been associated with good clinical results. General objective: To observe the nutritional therapy administered to critical patients in the Intensive Care Unit of the Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital, Cuenca, 2021. Methodology: A retrospective, observational-descriptive study was carried out using the Excel database created from the digital medical records of 13 patients from the HVCM ICU, collected using forms. The results were worked in Excel, through distribution of frequencies and percentages, measures of central tendency (mean) and dispersion (standard deviation); presented in tables and graphs. Results: Resting energy expenditure (REE) measured by indirect calorimetry (CI) (1728 ± 231 kcal/day) and estimated by the thumb formula (1718 ± 323 kcal/day) were apparently similar. Calories actually administered were 999 ± 305 kcal/day, representing 84% of the mean caloric goal (1118 ± 263 kcal/day) and 57.81% of the REE measured by CI. Conclusion: Nutritional therapy in critical patients of ICU from HVCM does not seem to vary if IC or thumb formula is used. Since the IC is considered the international gold standard in these patients, it should be used whenever it is available. However, more related studies are required in Ecuador.