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Open research questions in Clinical Nutrition and Gastroenterology

320 gap statements mined from Clinical Nutrition and Gastroenterology papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 1,434 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • Device dysfunction and microbial proliferation are challenges associated with nutrient persistence. Feeding intolerance and secondary infections are also challenges that need to be addressed. The development of effective methods for assessing nutrient persistence and retention is a technical challenge.

    Preclinical Imaging for the Translation of Innovative Nutritional Strategies: Current Applications and Future Perspectives · 2026 · DOI

  • Traditional assessments of nutrient persistence have relied largely on indirect or bulk endpoints. There is a lack of understanding of where nutrients persist, how long they persist, and how effectively they are cleared. The mechanisms by which nutrient formulations adhere to internal surfaces and resist clearance have remained incompletely characterized.

    Preclinical Imaging for the Translation of Innovative Nutritional Strategies: Current Applications and Future Perspectives · 2026 · DOI

  • The primary physiologic deficiency of intestinal failure, namely the reduction of gastrointestinal surface area, has not been addressed by recent advances. There is a need for long-term data on the effectiveness and safety of teduglutide in children with intestinal failure.

    Safety and long-term effectiveness of teduglutide in children with intestinal failure due to short bowel syndrome: a multicenter, post-marketing cohort study · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for a more nuanced understanding of the role of the microbiome in micronutrient metabolism.

    Gut Failure as a Potential Unmeasured Modifier of Micronutrient Response in Critical Illness: A Structured Narrative Review of Absorption, Metabolism, and Immune Function · 2026 · DOI

  • Nutritional status assessment, the definition of nutritional needs, routes and modes of administration, diet types, monitoring of food tolerance, complications and safety during ICU admission, and nutrition-focused outcomes are not well established in these patients and have not been specifically addressed in international ICU guidelines.

    Nutritional therapy for patients with respiratory hypoxemic failure without a protected airway · 2026 · DOI

  • Current literature recognizes that standard supplementation may not be enough in the critically ill population on CRRT, but evidence is lacking for optimal micronutrient supplementation doses and monitoring parameters.

    Micronutrient deficiencies in continuous renal replacement therapy: A literature review and the emerging role of the pharmacist · 2026 · DOI

  • However, in many cases, literature is lacking to support supplementation and monitoring strategies specifically in CRRT.

    Micronutrient deficiencies in continuous renal replacement therapy: A literature review and the emerging role of the pharmacist · 2026 · DOI

  • The control group (postponed) will receive standard care and, if oral intake remains insufficient, will begin supplemental PN on POD5 for up to five days.

    Early v. postponed supplementary parenteral nutrition after major emergency abdominal surgery (The EATERS trial): protocol and statistical analysis plan · 2026 · DOI

  • Current guidelines provide limited practical guidance in emergency surgical patients, and the evidence is sparse.

    Early v. postponed supplementary parenteral nutrition after major emergency abdominal surgery (The EATERS trial): protocol and statistical analysis plan · 2026 · DOI

  • Malnutrition in paediatric cancer patients increases adverse clinical outcomes; however, methods for assessing malnutrition risk remain unclear.

    Validity of the Translated Turkish Version of the Tool for Nutrition Risk Screening for Paediatric Cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • Malnutrition is a common, under-recognised and under-treated condition in patients with NEN, and there are limited data available on the role of optimising nutrition in this setting.

    Controversies in NEN: An ENETS position statement on nutritional support in neuroendocrine neoplasms · 2025 · DOI

  • These aspects were reflected in the low quality and high risk of bias of the primary studies, which proved to be an important limitation.

    PP62 Assessment Of Evidence On The Efficacy And Safety Of Oral Nutritional Supplements For Malnutrition In Hospitals · 2025 · DOI

  • However, practices often vary due to resource constraints, lack of standardisation and inadequate training-leading to contamination risks, suboptimal nutrition and increased infections.

    Improving neonatal total parenteral nutrition (TPN) safety and standardisation in a tertiary NICU: a multicomponent QI initiative · 2025 · DOI

  • Current insights on combined physical rehabilitation and nutrition suggest improved clinically relevant outcomes, but further investigations across the continuum of care of patients with critical illness are warranted.

    Concurrent nutrition and physical rehabilitation interventions for patients with critical illness · 2024 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on prospectively investigating biological signatures of harm as well as taking into the consideration elements that will likely enhance the effectiveness of protein dose.

    Dietary protein in the ICU in relation to health outcomes · 2024 · DOI

  • Despite these efforts, high quality studies to determine optimal nutrition strategies and interventions are lacking behind adult evidence and should be the focus of future research.

    Nutrition in pediatric end-stage liver disease · 2024 · DOI

  • Bayesian re-analysis frameworks may clarify conflicting evidence in critical care, thus enhancing interpretability and supporting clinical decision-making.

    Critical care nutrition: a Bayesian re-analysis of trial data · 2024 · DOI

  • There is limited evidence regarding the optimal time to commence parenteral nutrition (PN) in term and late preterm infants.

    Early versus late parenteral nutrition in term and late preterm infants: a randomised controlled trial · 2024 · DOI

  • The limited follow-up times and small sample sizes of the included studies. The potential influence of clinical status on the inconsistencies found in morphological outcomes.

    Morphological and permeability changes of the intestine in patients nourished exclusively with parenteral nutrition: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • With the exception of physical indicators of nutritional status, there was no agreement across studies regarding commonly agreed upon risk factors including periods of fasting, feeding rates, or specific medical conditions.

    Risk, management and future directions for refeeding syndrome and enteral nutrition, an adult and paediatric perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • The engagement of families in nutrition care is an emerging concept, and as such, few studies have explored the role of family engagement in the delivery of nutritional care.

    Engaging family members in nutrition care during recovery from critical illness · 2024 · DOI

  • We highlight underrecognized causes, available testing modalities, and ongoing diagnostic unmet needs.

    A look inside the gut as a clue to nutritional status · 2024 · DOI

  • The studies had limited follow-up times, - The studies had small sample sizes, - The evidence was based on quite heterogeneous studies, - Surgery and inflammation may have also contributed to the observed…

    Morphological and permeability changes of the intestine in patients nourished exclusively with parenteral nutrition: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The absence of gastrointestinal phenotyping in landmark ICU supplementation trials. The reliance on circulating surrogates of bioavailability in these trials. The neglect of microbiome–nutrient interactions in these trials.

    Gut Failure as a Potential Unmeasured Modifier of Micronutrient Response in Critical Illness: A Structured Narrative Review of Absorption, Metabolism, and Immune Function · 2026 · DOI

  • While latest trials on physical rehabilitation alone reported conflicting findings, recent nutrition trials found no difference between higher and lower protein delivery and even suggested harm in patients with acute kidney injury.

    Concurrent nutrition and physical rehabilitation interventions for patients with critical illness · 2024 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Clinical Nutrition and Gastroenterology

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) There is a lack of understanding of where nutrients persist, how long they persist, and how effectively they are cleared (“Preclinical Imaging for the Translation of Innovative Nutritional Strategies:…”, 2026); (2) There is a need for long-term data on the effectiveness and safety of teduglutide in children with intestinal failure (“Safety and long-term effectiveness of teduglutide in children with intestinal…”, 2026); (3) Current literature recognizes that standard supplementation may not be enough in the critically ill population on CRRT, but evidence is lacking for optimal micronutrient supplementation doses and monitoring parameters (“Micronutrient deficiencies in continuous renal replacement therapy: A…”, 2026); (4) Malnutrition in paediatric cancer patients increases adverse clinical outcomes; however, methods for assessing malnutrition risk remain unclear (“Validity of the Translated Turkish Version of the Tool for Nutrition Risk…”, 2026); (5) Malnutrition is a common, under-recognised and under-treated condition in patients with NEN, and there are limited data available on the role of optimising nutrition in this setting (“Controversies in NEN: An ENETS position statement on nutritional support in…”, 2025). 320 gap statements have been mined from Clinical Nutrition and Gastroenterology papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 1,434 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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