A total of 223 responses were obtained, mainly from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico. Respondents reported a median of 10 years of professional experience (interquartile range: 6-16). Most worked in high-complexity public hospitals (141 63.2%) and reported ≥40 h workweeks (144 64.6%); 137 (61.4%) held postgraduate degrees. Systematic participation in nutritional assessment, intervention, and monitoring was reported by 165 (74.0%), 183 (82.1%), and 168 (75.3%) respondents, respectively. Only 97 (43.5%) were authorized to prescribe nutritional therapy, with institutional policies identified as the main barrier. Academic involvement was limited, with 91 (41.7%) occasionally participating in teaching and 93 (42.1%) in research. The NRS-2002 was the most commonly used screening tool; only 16 (7.2%) reported access to indirect calorimetry, and 120 (53.8%) assessed muscle mass, mainly by anthropometry CONCLUSIONS: DNs in Latin America play an active role in ICU nutritional care but face important limitations in clinical autonomy, access to diagnostic tools, and academic participation.
Crovetto et al. (Wed,) studied this question.