Table 2 Areas of consensus (ICU patients with a more than 4-day length of stay)

Early enteral feeding

Consider in each patient without absolute contraindication; prevents mucosal atrophy

Risks of overfeeding

Early phase

Estimation of energy expenditure

Requires indirect calorimetry – cannot be predicted by equations

Arginine

Not recommended in sepsis; beneficial in perioperative patients outside the ICU

Vitamins, trace elements

Mandatory, in nutritional doses; particularly true in parenteral nutrition