Do we need a 6D’s Framework of Nutritional Stewardship in critical care?

Recent European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) guideline on clinical nutrition in the intensive care unit had as ultimate goal the achievement of optimal nutritional support for critically ill patients and to illuminate the gaps in knowledge in order to provide priorities for future clinical research. Although malnutrition is a vital part of the treatment of patients with critical illness and injury, nutrition in the critically ill is not one size fits all. Both clinical nutrition guidelines and ICU experts have recognized the need for a new, individualized approach to nutrition. Nutrition stewardship, analog to antimicrobial and fluid stewardship, could be defined as the “ongoing effort by a healthcare institution to optimise artificial nutrition use in order to improve patient outcomes, ensure cost effective therapy and reduce adverse sequelae.” A robust nutrition stewardship program could gain reputation if the concept will spread to various national programs and regulatory guidelines released in the recent past.