The document outlines 6 statements that form an ASPEN bundle for providing nutrition to patients in intensive care units. The statements recommend: 1) assessing patients' nutrition risk and determining energy and protein goals, 2) initiating enteral nutrition within 24-48 hours and increasing to goals over a week, and 3) taking steps to reduce risks like aspiration and improve tolerance for enteral feeding.

1. ASPEN Bundle
American Society of Parenteral
Parenteral and Enteral
Nutrition
Dr Awaneesh Katiyar
MCh, Senior Resident
Trauma Surgery and Critical Care
AIIMS, Rishikesh, UK, India

2. 1. Bundle
Statements
Assess patients on admission to the intensive care
unit (ICU) for nutrition risk and calculate both energy
and protein requirements to determine goals of
nutrition therapy.

3. 2. Bundle
Statements
Initiate enteral nutrition (EN) within 24−48
hours following the onset of critical illness and
admission to the ICU and increase to goals over
the first week of ICU stay.

4. 3. Bundle
Statements
Take steps as needed to reduce risk of aspiration
or improve tolerance to gastric feeding (use
prokinetic agent, continuous infusion,
chlorhexidine mouthwash, elevate the head of
bed, and divert level of feeding in the
gastrointestinal tract).

5. 4. Bundle
Statements
Implement enteral feeding protocols with
institution-specific strategies to promote
delivery of EN.

6. 5. Bundle
Statements
Do not use gastric residual volumes as part of
routine care to monitor ICU patients receiving
EN.

7. 6. Bundle
Statements
Start parenteral nutrition early when EN is not
feasible or sufficient in high-risk or poorly
nourished patients.