Special Diets and Therapeutic Nutrition Flashcards

What does the clinical abbreviation 'NPO' mean in a patient's dietary order?

Answer: Nothing by mouth

NPO (nil per os) is a Latin abbreviation meaning nothing by mouth, ordered before surgery or during acute illness requiring GI rest.

Which vitamin deficiency is most commonly associated with a strict unsupplemented vegan diet?

Answer: Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in animal products, making supplementation essential for vegans to prevent deficiency and neurological damage.

A patient with COPD should receive a diet that emphasizes which macronutrient ratio to minimize respiratory burden?

Answer: Higher fat and moderate carbohydrate to reduce carbon dioxide production

Carbohydrate metabolism produces more CO2 per unit of oxygen consumed than fat oxidation, so higher-fat diets reduce the respiratory quotient and ease breathing in COPD.

Which condition requires a low-copper diet as part of its medical nutrition therapy?

Answer: Wilson's disease

Wilson's disease causes copper accumulation in the liver, brain, and other organs due to a genetic defect in copper excretion, requiring dietary copper restriction.

What is the primary nutritional concern for a patient receiving long-term corticosteroid therapy?

Answer: Bone loss due to impaired calcium absorption and increased bone resorption

Long-term corticosteroids decrease intestinal calcium absorption and increase bone resorption, requiring calcium and vitamin D supplementation to prevent osteoporosis.

Which enteral formula type is most appropriate for a patient with severe fat malabsorption?

Answer: Semi-elemental formula containing medium-chain triglycerides (MCT)

Semi-elemental formulas with MCTs bypass the need for bile acids and pancreatic lipase, making them suitable for patients with fat malabsorption disorders.