Intensive Care Medicine (ICM) Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the Intensive Care Medicine (ICM) Exam. Review with multiple choice questions including detailed explanations. Boost your confidence and enhance your knowledge. Achieve success with targeted study materials tailored just for you!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What does parenteral nutrition refer to?

Feeding through the gastrointestinal tract
Intravenous feeding
Feeding through a peg tube
Standard oral feeding

The correct answer is: Intravenous feeding

Parenteral nutrition refers specifically to the delivery of nutrients directly into the bloodstream via intravenous feeding. This method is used when a patient is unable to obtain adequate nutrition through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract due to conditions that impair digestion or absorption, such as certain surgeries, severe pancreatitis, or gastrointestinal obstructions. Through this approach, a carefully balanced mixture of macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) can be administered, allowing for comprehensive nutritional support when conventional feeding isn't feasible. Parenteral nutrition is typically delivered through a central venous catheter or a peripheral vein depending on the patient's needs and the duration of therapy. The other options reflect methods of nutrition that involve the gastrointestinal tract. Feeding through the GI tract, whether through standard oral feeding or via a peg tube, incorporates the digestion and absorption processes, which are not utilized in parenteral nutrition. Thus, intravenous feeding accurately captures the essence of parenteral nutrition.