(Mount Saint Vincent University, 2022-09-08) Bianco, Jolene
Rwandan hospitals do not currently provide food services to patients, as is seen in most high-income countries, and instead the responsibility lies on the patient’s caretaker to provide food for the patient. There may also not be adequate medical nutrition therapy for intensive care unit (ICU) patients at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali (CHUK). This is potentially risky given the multitude of factors involved in feeding a critically ill patient in the hospital, including concerns of nutritional adequacy, food safety, and patient-specific nutrient requirements. This is of particular concern given that two recent studies conducted at the CHUK revealed sub-optimal enteral nutrition (EN) feeding practices in the ICU and emergency.