Protein Requirements in Hospitalized Patients
Nutritional status is frequently impaired among hospitalized patients. It is widely agreed that routine hospital practices can further adversely affect the nutritional status of sick patients. There is no doubt that meeting protein requirements is a must, and a lack of protein has serious implications for health, recovery from illness or surgery, and hospital costs. Many body tissues are composed of proteins, and protein requirement is increased for many sick patients as their bodies recover from illness or injury.