Clinical Nutrition in Patients with Chronic Intestinal Failure

Patients with chronic intestinal failure (CIF) require long-term parenteral administration of nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and water. CIF is associated with a high risk of malnutrition and sarcopenia, resulting from factors such as malabsorption, chronic inflammation, and sometimes, some case, delayed initiation of parenteral nutrition. The main goal of nutritional therapy in patients with CIF is to maintain adequate nutritional and hydration status, prevent complications arising from nutrient deficiencies, optimize quality of life, minimize the risk of complications related to parenteral nutrition (especially in patients after intestinal resections, e.g., short bowel syndrome), and aim to achieve partial or complete independence from parenteral nutrition, if the intestine retains adaptive potential. This study aims to systematise the current scientific knowledge on nutritional management in CIF patients and to determine the impact of nutritional therapy on intestinal adaptation. One of the significant challenges for the therapeutic team treating CIF patients is the assessment of gastrointestinal function. There is a lack of high-quality data from randomised clinical trials and carefully conducted clinical observations on therapeutic decision-making regarding the introduction of enteral nutrition in CIF patients.