Outcome Measures in Critical Care Nutrition Interventional Trials: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Historically, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in critical care have used mortality as the primary outcome, yet most show no effect on this outcome. Therefore, there has been a shift in the literature to focus on alternative outcomes. This review aimed to describe primary outcomes selected in RCTs of nutrition interventions in critical illness. Systematic search of the literature identified RCTs of nutrition interventions in critically ill adults published between January 2007 and December 2018. Primary outcomes were documented and categorized as mortality, morbidity, health service/cost-effectiveness, or nutrition outcome. The direction of effect of the intervention on the primary outcom..