Current concepts in nutritional assessment.

T he management of surgical illness requires appropriate metabolic and physiologic adjustment to preserve tissue and organ function. A patient’s baseline nutritional status along with optimal nutritional support will provide the substrate to meet the increase in metabolic demand. Adequate response to metabolic demands allows the host to limit catabolism, promote wound healing, and muster a defense against infection. Delivery of appropriate metabolic support begins with adequate assessment of nutritional status.