Practices, barriers, and opportunities for dietitians‐nutrionists in critical care in latin america: A cross‐sectional study

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.