Clinical nutrition prescription using a mathematical method to assess industrialized formulas

Background: the planning of nutritional therapy depends restrictions defined by the prescriber, in a way that nutrients and calories levels are placed at appropriate intervals. Since industrialized formulas (IF) have fixed compositions of macro and micronutrients, there is a high risk of not meeting the set of restrictions in a given clinical scenario, i.e., attendance of the caloric, but not of the protein target. Objective: the objective of this study is to identify under what conditions it is possible an industrialized formula to meet the clinical restrictions of calories, macro and micronutrients. Methods: we deduced a mathematical relationship that must be met in order to satisfy such constraints. Using as variables: a) the necessary volume of an FI to meet the energy goal; b) the energy density of the FI; c) upper limit of calorie or nutrient; and d) the lower limit of calorie or nutrient. Results: a first degree inequality was developed that if attended allows to discriminate if a prescribed volume v of an IF meets the set of restrictions placed by the prescriber, in order to previously select viable formulas among a portfolio. Clinical vignettes are presented. Conclusion: the viability condition of an industrialized formula for the attendance of a system of constraints can be identified with the aid of a mathematical formula of the first-degree inequality type.