Nutrition Basics and Patient Feeding

Course overview

The human body requires good nutrition and the proper intake of food and fluids, to grow, repair damage, to fight off infections, and function at an optimal level. Food and fluids provide the body with energy, hydration, and nutrients. Guidelines for individual diets include important rules such as maintaining a balance between calories taken in and calories expended to maintain proper body weight. A healthcare professional may be called upon to assist a patient who needs assistance with eating to assist with required nutrition. There are many reasons why someone might not be able to self-feed, and there are some important rules and procedures a health care professional will need to follow when feeding a patient. Patients who cannot feed themselves are at risk of aspirating food into the lungs, and the health care professional who observes recommended safety measures to prevent patient aspiration may help avoid a devastating preventable result in loss of life.