Nutritional Support Practices in Intensive Care Units in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital

Critically ill patients in intensive care units have unique and elevated nutritional requirements that are often inadequately addressed, contributing to prolonged recovery, increased infection risk, and higher mortality rates. This study examines current nutritional support practices in the intensive care unit of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos State, South West Nigeria. Despite international guidelines emphasising early enteral nutrition and calorie-protein target achievement in critically ill patients, implementation in resource-constrained Nigerian intensive care settings is poorly documented. A prospective observational study was conducted over five months, enrolling 80 adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit with an expected stay of at least 48 hours. Data collected included nutritional risk score on admission, time to initiation of nutritional support, route of feeding (enteral versus parenteral), daily caloric and protein delivery, and incidence of feeding interruptions. Clinical outcomes including ventilator days, length of intensive care unit stay, and infection episodes were recorded. Nutritional support decisions were tracked through daily multidisciplinary round observations and medical record review. Findings are expected to reveal significant gaps between prescribed and delivered calories, delayed initiation of enteral feeding, and minimal involvement of dietitians in intensive care unit rounds. The study recommends establishing nutrition support teams and standardised enteral feeding protocols in Nigerian intensive care units. Keywords: intensive care nutrition, enteral feeding, nutritional support, Lagos, critical illness.