Nutrition Lecture Notes

Objectives of Nutrition

• Well-Balanced Diet Effects:

  • Essential for maintaining health throughout life.
  • Impacts growth, development, disease prevention, and management.

• Current Dietary Guidelines:

  • Recommended daily intakes of nutrients for various populations (based on age, gender, and health).
  • Encourages a balanced approach integrating different food groups.

• Nutritional Assessment Methods:

  • Anthropometric: Measurements (height, weight, BMI).
  • Biochemical: Lab tests to assess nutrient levels (blood tests, glucose levels).
  • Clinical: Physical examination for signs of malnutrition or deficiency.
  • Dietary: 24-hour dietary recall or food frequency questionnaires to analyze eating patterns.

• Enteral Feedings Management:

  • Using feeding tubes to provide nutrition directly to the stomach or small intestine.
  • Importance of monitoring for complications such as aspiration and tube displacement.

• Parenteral Nutrition Complications:

  • Risks associated with IV feeding such as infection, blood clots, or metabolic imbalances.
  • Need for careful monitoring of electrolytes and fluid balance.

Nutritional Labeling Guide

• Reading Labels:
  • Check serving sizes and calorie content to manage dietary intake.
  • Understand the % Daily Value (%DV):
  • High: Over 20% DV of a nutrient indicates a nutrient-rich food.
  • Low: 5% DV or lower is considered low.
• Important Nutrients:
  • Limit saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium.
  • Get enough dietary fiber, and vitamins A, C, calcium, and iron.

Anatomy and Physiology of the Digestive System

• Digestion Overview:
  • Involves mechanical and chemical processes to break down food.
• Key Organs:
  • Mouth: Begins mechanical digestion.
  • Stomach: Secretes acid and enzymes for food breakdown.
  • Small Intestine: Major site for digestion and nutrient absorption.
  • Large Intestine: Reabsorbs water and forms waste.

Alternative Food Patterns

• Vegetarian Diets:
  • Plant-based, emphasizing fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes while excluding animal products.
• Cultural Considerations:
  • Many diets influenced by religious and cultural practices affecting food choices.

Risk for Malnutrition Indicators

• Clinical Signs:
  • Serum albumin < 3.5g/dl; nausea/vomiting lasting >3 days; >10% unplanned weight loss.
• Nursing Diagnoses:
  • Includes risk for aspiration, impaired nutrition intake, and impaired self-feeding based on assessments.

Implementation Strategies for Nutrition

• Health Promotion:
  • Education on dietary best practices, early identification of problems, and meal planning.
• Interventions:
  • Support patient nutrition through meal planning and food safety practices.

Enteral Nutrition Methods

• Types:
  • Nasogastric tube (NG), Orogastric tube (OG), Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) for long-term feeding.
  • Need for monitoring tube placement and feeding intolerance.

Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) Considerations

• Indications:
  • Used when oral or enteral feeding is inadequate or not possible.
• Complications:
  • Risk of infection, glucose intolerance, and metabolic derangements, requiring close monitoring.

General Nursing Responsibilities

• Feeding Tube Management:
  • CNA can assist with hygiene but not with feeding; caregivers must monitor for signs of aspiration.
• Monitoring Parameters:
  • Assess lab values, feeding residuals, skin conditions, and patient's GI status for tolerance.