Therapeutic Nutrition and Disease Management Flashcards

Which type of tube feeding administration is most physiologically appropriate for critically ill patients receiving enteral nutrition?

Answer: Continuous infusion over 16-24 hours

Continuous infusion minimizes gastric residual volumes, reduces aspiration risk, and provides steady nutrient delivery, making it the preferred method in critically ill patients.

In cancer cachexia, which metabolic alteration distinguishes it from simple starvation?

Answer: Persistent muscle wasting driven by systemic inflammation despite adequate nutrition

Cancer cachexia involves cytokine-driven proteolysis and impaired protein synthesis that causes irreversible muscle wasting, differentiating it from starvation where lean mass is relatively preserved.

Which dietary modification is central to managing phenylketonuria (PKU)?

Answer: Severe restriction of phenylalanine by limiting high-protein foods and using medical formula

PKU requires lifelong severe restriction of phenylalanine-containing foods (meat, dairy, legumes) supplemented with a phenylalanine-free medical formula to prevent neurotoxic accumulation.

The medical nutrition therapy goal for a patient with short bowel syndrome primarily focuses on:

Answer: Maximizing intestinal absorption through oral/enteral feeding, avoiding parenteral nutrition dependence

MNT for short bowel syndrome aims to enhance intestinal adaptation, optimize oral/enteral intake, and wean from parenteral nutrition through individualized dietary strategies based on remaining bowel anatomy.

Which formula component is most important to increase in the nutrition support of a patient with pressure injuries (bed sores)?

Answer: Protein (1.2-1.5 g/kg/day or higher), along with arginine, zinc, and vitamin C

Wound healing requires increased protein for collagen synthesis, arginine for nitric oxide and hydroxyproline production, zinc as a cofactor for tissue repair enzymes, and vitamin C for collagen cross-linking.

In pediatric nutrition, what is the primary purpose of using medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil in formulas for fat malabsorption?

Answer: MCTs are absorbed directly into the portal vein without requiring bile acid emulsification or chylomicron formation

Unlike long-chain fatty acids, MCTs (C8-C10) are absorbed directly into the portal circulation without needing bile salt micelles, lymphatic transport, or chylomicron assembly, benefiting patients with cholestasis or lymphatic disorders.