| Background. We identified physician perceptions of nutrition, preferences relating to feeding initiation, and management practices specific to nutrition in the intensive care unit patient.;Methods. We electronically mailed a 12 question survey to attending physicians, fellows, and residents who care for ICU patients.;Results. On a 1 to 5 scale, attending physician's mean rating of nutrition importance was 4.60, while rating of their own understanding of nutritional support was 3.33. Attending physicians, fellows, and residents reported waiting an average of 2.43, 1.79, and 2.63 days respectively before addressing nutrition. 52% of attending physicians chose parenteral nutrition support in patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. There was no significant difference in responses based on level of training to any of the survey questions.;Conclusions. Our study demonstrates discordance in physician perceptions and practices regarding initiation and management of nutrition in ICU patients, indicating a need for nutrition-related education at all levels of training. |
