Nutrition Plays Crucial Role in Critical Care

Did you know that Crozer Health has critical care Registered Dietitians? 

Critical care dietitians play an integral role in caring for the sickest patients in our hospitals.  In the last year especially, they have been key players in caring for hundreds of COVID-19 patients.  Critical care dietitians prepare individualized nutrition support plans to address nutrition needs during the acute phase of illness. 

Nutrition support is the term used for nutrition that is fed either enterally (by a tube through the GI tract) or parenterally (intravenously).  Any patient placed on a ventilator or patients who cannot chew, swallow, or use their GI tract for a multitude of reasons, will often need nutrition support during their hospital stay.  Frequent nutrition re-assessment and close monitoring can help ensure their nutrition status is maintained, which is a crucial part of the healing and recovery process. 

The critical care dietitians at Crozer Health work closely with the medical team to understand the whole clinical picture so the patient can be fed safely and adequately via nutrition support.  Crozer Health’s inpatient dietitians are there every step of the way to address nutrition needs, concerns, and initiate interventions based on the patient’s clinical status.   

Some patients continue to require nutritional support after discharge.  Therefore, the dietitian in our Outpatient Nutrition Center at Springfield Hospital is available to support and oversee patients’ dietary needs and adjust recommendations once patients return home.

If you are a family member or provider for a patient on nutrition support at home, and you think they would benefit from a consult with one of our outpatient Registered Dietitians, please call 610-328-8920 to schedule.  Most insurances accepted, and many cover the costs of seeing a dietitian with a physician referral.