Feeding critically ill patients at the right time of day

Abstract

Chrononutrition, a field of circadian medicine [1], examines the effects of the timing of eating on circadian rhythms, biological processes, and disease pathogenesis and treatment [2]. Food intake is an environmental cue, similar though less potent than light exposure, that synchronizes human biology with the external environment. Supporting the circadian health of critically ill patients through modern feeding schedules has the potential to improve metabolic outcomes by limiting circadian misalignment, and more broadly benefit robust circadian function, which is necessary for patient recovery. Daytime nutrition support is facilitated by recent scheduling features of electronic health records and automated infusion pumps; however, its implementation requires that hospital operations be reevaluated.