Nutritional Protocol after Acute Thermal Injury

Abstract

Nutritional requirements drastically change after a serious burn injury. In this article the feeding protocol of the Burn Unit of the University Hospital Louvain-Belgium is presented. Patients who are victim of large cutaneous bums are characterized by an elevated metabolic rate and weight loss. To contend with this syndrome, a rigorous nutritional support program is essential. Care must be taken to provide an appropriate nutritional regimen in order to minimize protein catabolism and to promote wound healing and immune defence. Simultaneously, a review of the literature summarizes current methods of procuring nutritional support to the burn patient, adult and paediatric, especially as micronutrients are concerned.