Abstract

Clinical Practice Guidelines have been defined as “systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate healthcare for specific clinical circumstances” and aim at reducing variations in practice and improving care processes and patient outcomes. ASPEN and ESPEN guidelines are most frequently employed in nutritional support services. However, inconsistencies in the interpretation of the evidentiary basis of these guidelines and differences in the appreciation of their relevant value can lead to different conclusions and recommendations. This paper reviews the differences between these two guidelines, particularly from the perspective of ICU patients. The results indicate that these guidelines may appear to be different but ultimately reflect the same content when detailed situations under the same conditions and limitations are considered, suggesting that care must be taken in interpreting and applying these guidelines by considering specific conditions and limitations. (SMN 2012;3:1-4)

• Keywords: Clinical practice guidelines, ASPEN, ESPEN, ICU