Marian Bátovský
Nutritional support of the hospitalized patient is important in improving patient outcome. The use of parenteral nutrition has been an important tool for the nutrition support of patients not only with gastrointestinal impairment. Advances in enteral access techniques and in the development of specialized enteral nutrition feeding formulas have created interest in the development of disease-specific nutrition management. Gastroenterologists by the nature of their specialization in gut physiology and disease, should be the experts in nutrition, knowledgeable about the effects of nutrition on disease management. They should be initiators and leading persons in creation and management of nutritional teams, in collaboration with other members of hospital departments (first of all of intensive care units) providing nutritional support.