From malnutrition to nutritional therapy risk: a neverending story

Patients are often exposed to risk of malnutrition during medical and surgical treat- ments, but nutritional therapy is not without risk either. This article describes the measures to re- duce these risks; in other words, it analyzes internal control systems of health care organizations aimed at reducing the adverse reactions related to these specific problems. We recognize the impor- tance of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and procedures for this purpose, but also emphasize the role of a solid shared team culture. We believe that it is impossible to ignore the fact that interper- sonal relations constitute the most important component of the clinical governance. (Nutritional Therapy & Metabolism 2008; 26: 76-80)