Annals of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism

Special Article

Current practices and challenges in nutrition support team activities, 2025 in Korea: a multicenter cross-sectional descriptive study: So Hyun Nam; Ann Clin Nutr Metab 2025;17(2):97-103. Published online August 1, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.15747/ACNM.25.0026

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Purpose
This study aimed to evaluate the current practices, activities, and challenges of nutrition support teams (NSTs) in Korea. The assessment was conducted as part of the 4th NST Leadership Program of the Korean Society of Surgical Metabolism and Nutrition held in 2025, which seeks to foster leadership and enhance team functionality.
Methods
A nationwide survey was conducted in February 2025 among 54 NST members from 44 institutions. The survey explored team composition, consultation volume, educational programs, barriers to implementation, institutional support, and reimbursement challenges.
Results
Of the 44 participating hospitals, most (86.4%) operated a single NST, with multidisciplinary physician involvement from over three specialties in 77.2% of cases. Inpatient referrals to NSTs were generally low, with less than 10% at 63% of institutions. Only 40.9% had an individual office, and formal incentive systems were reported in 18.1% of hospitals. Educational programs for in-hospital staff were limited (29.5%), and less than half conducted regular academic meetings. Rates of adoption of NST recommendations varied widely, with barriers including a lack of engagement from attending physicians, failure to review the recommendations, and department-specific clinical policies. Efforts to promote NST activation included computerized prescription systems, automated referral workflows, staff education, and quality improvement initiatives. Participants focused on sharing effective NST cases, building incentives, exchanging clinical insights, clarifying team roles and leadership, and developing unified practice guidelines.
Conclusion
NSTs in Korea are well established but face ongoing challenges in collaboration and sustainability. Continued leadership and policy support are crucial for enhancing team performance and improving patient outcomes.

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Original Article

Effects of nutritional status and support on the survival of COVID-19 patients in a single tertiary-center intensive care unit in Korea: a case-control study: Na Gyeong Lee, Hye Jin Kim, Ji Gyeong Kang, Do Hyeon Jeon, Mi Seung Kwak, So Hyun Nam; Ann Clin Nutr Metab 2023;15(1):30-37. Published online April 1, 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.15747/ACNM.2023.15.1.30

Purpose: It is important to understand the nutritional status of critically ill COVID-19 patients and to provide adequate associated support. We attempted to determine how nutritional status and the amount of nutritional support provided to critically ill patients affect their survival.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients admitted to the intensive care unit of Dong-A University Hospital between January and December 2021. We divided the patients into survivors and those who died during COVID-19 treatment and compared and analyzed their clinical parameters, nutrition-related indicators, nutritional status, and nutritional support.
Results: Of 70 patients reviewed, 57 survived. Mortality was higher in the older group (P=0.006). The patients who underwent ventilator, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or continuous renal replacement therapy showed higher mortality. Nutritional status at the time of admission and the nutritional requirements did not differ among patient groups. However, the actual amounts of calories (P<0.001) and protein (P=0.019) supplied were lower in the mortality group. Serum C-reactive protein level was higher (P=0.002) and serum albumin level was lower in those who did not survive (P<0.001) compared with surviving patients at discharge.
Conclusion: We did not determine whether the initial nutritional status of patients with COVID-19 affected their survival due to various factors associated with the severity of the disease. However, given the similarities between disease severity and nutritional status at the time of admission, our results indicate that adequate nutritional support can contribute to survival in critically ill COVID-19 patients with pneumonia.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

The association between enteral nutrition with survival of critical patients with COVID‐19
Maryam Gholamalizadeh, Zahra Salimi, Khadijeh Abbasi Mobarakeh, Zahra Mahmoudi, Shirin Tajadod, Mahdi Mousavi Mele, Farkhondeh Alami, Bojlul Bahar, Saeid Doaei, Sara Khoshdooz, Masoume Rahvar, Somayeh Gholami, Masoume Pourtaleb
Immunity, Inflammation and Disease.2024;[Epub] CrossRef

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