STRATEGIES FOR NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS WITH RENAL-FAILURE

This review article discusses the evidence documenting the interrelati onship between nutritional status and clinical outcome of the renal pa tient population. The limitations of accurately assessing the nutritio nal status of this patient group with commonly used indices are detail ed. An overview of the history of nutrition supplementation as an inte rvention for the malnourished renal patient reveals that the efficacy of both enteral and parenteral methods has not been adequately explore d to draw any firm conclusions. Based on available data, recommendatio ns for providing nutrition care for the malnourished patient are provi ded. Therapeutics that are currently under investigation as future int erventions for malnutrition are identified.