INTRODUCTION
At least 1/3rd of patients arrive at hospitals malnourished and, if left untreated, many continue to decline nutritionally. The prevalence of malnutrition
in intensive care is reported to be as high as 40%. Timely nutrition intervention can reduce complication rates, length of stay in Hospital, mortality rate, and cost of care. Studies have shown a significant inverse linear relationship between mortality and total daily energy received. Malnutrition and development of negative energy balance results in increased infectious complications, impaired immunologic function, and prolonged ventilator dependence..