Clinical Nutrition Dilemma

First of all, I want to thank Ms. Del Castillo's husband for his military service to our country. He sacrifices for our safety and freedom. It is important to note, however, that food is medicine. When getting dietary advice, it is best to speak with a specialist who has: Completed a minimum of a bachelor's degree with coursework through an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) or Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CP) Completed 1,200 hours of supervised practice through an ACEND accredited Dietetic Internship Passed a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) Completed continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration Many registered dietitians, like myself, are Certified Nutrition Support Clinicians (CNSC), and hold additional certifications in specialized areas of practice. I question the qualification of Ms. Del Cast...

A brand of enteral nutrition formula just revamped its packaging which almost gave me a heart attack when I first saw it hanging in one of my patient's room. As seen on the above picture, the new packaging in the middle is a 1.5 calorie/mL formula, but the color of this new label is the same color as the old label of a 1 calorie/mL formula that we are used to. At first, I thought the nurse made an error and hung up a wrong formula. I was very close to filing a report with the Patient Safety Net, a portal to report medical errors. But when I looked at the label more closely, it's the same strength of formula that I recommended. Whew~ Think of it this way: our critical care patients are already at high risk of malnutrition. If the hung formula is indeed a 1 calorie/mL, the patient in critical condition is receiving 33% less calories than intended, hospital-acquired malnutrition may result. The next time any manufacturer plans to make changes to their packaging, please ...