EC NUTRITION Literature Review Proteins, Catabolism and Sepsis: A Literature Review

Sepsis and, its progression, septic shock are multi-organ failures caused by a complication of an infection. These cases are characterized by an increased in the nutritional requirements and this leads to a catabolic state. This shows a negative nitrogen balance which demonstrate the use of body muscle are metabolic substrate for energy production. This fact leads to a malnourished patient with increased mortality rates. Nutrition in the septic patient is a complicated topic not only for the acute component of the disease but also due to the location and the nutritional misconceptions of the medical team. Investigation in this field is very limited and mainly specific amino acids have been studied but a complete nutritional approach to the patient could lead to a correction in the catabolic state. By correcting the catabolism, we would not only improve the nutritional status of the patient but also improve and/ or correct the metabolism. This could lead to appropriate metabolic pathways and better outcomes.