Resumen
Objective: To know the perceptions of intensive care physicians of a teaching hospital in Belém / PA about nutritional therapy. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive and quantitative study conducted through an adapted questionnaire. The target population consisted of doctors working in the intensive care units of a teaching hospital. The statistical process was performed using the software SAM (Statistical Analysis Model) and BioEstat version 5.3. Results: Twenty-five ICU physicians on duty were evaluated, 48% of whom had intensive care residency. Of the total, 68% of physicians reported that 10% weight loss in one month was considered significant for initiation of nutritional support in critically ill patients, 80% said they started nutrition in a septic ICU patient within 48 hours. In their daily practices, 75% of intensivists answered that they usually decide on the beginning of the enteral diet, but 65% agree in part that they have difficulty recognizing patients at nutritional risk in intensive care and graduate with an average grade of 5.5 to respect of knowledge about nutritional support. Conclusion: Therefore, intensivists know little about nutritional therapy and it is necessary to create and institute a protocol on Nutritional Therapy (TN) to be applied in the hospital ICU.