| Nutritional assessment should be based on the patient history and physical data, including weight loss and dietary intake before admission; disease severity; comorbid conditions; and function of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., Subjective Global Assessment). Serum markers (e.g., albumin, prealbumin, retinol binding protein, transferrin) alone are not adequate. | C | 12, 14–17, 28 |
| The decision to administer specialized nutrition support should consider the patient's preexisting nutritional status, the impact of the disease process on nutritional intake, and the likelihood that specialized nutrition support will improve patient outcome or quality of life. | B | 1–10, 17–26 |
| Enteral nutrition is preferred over parenteral nutrition because it has been shown to be more cost-effective and may decrease the rate of infections. | A | 1, 11, 17, 49 |
| Specialized nutrition support is not obligatory at the end of life. Enteral nutrition is unlikely to be helpful in patients with advanced dementia, and may be harmful. | C | 17, 51–53 |