The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) GI Nutrition Series for Clinicians 2024–2025 is an advanced educational lecture series designed to bridge the gap between textbook knowledge and practical bedside expertise in the management of complex gastrointestinal disorders.

The series focuses on the nutritional challenges associated with gastrointestinal disease, altered GI physiology, surgical interventions, and complex patient conditions. It provides clinicians with practical approaches to assessment, nutrition support, pharmacological management, feeding strategies, and interdisciplinary patient care.

About the Series

Gastrointestinal disorders can significantly affect digestion, absorption, nutritional status, feeding tolerance, and quality of life. Changes in GI function may result from underlying disease, surgery, or other clinical conditions and can create complex nutritional management challenges.

The GI Nutrition Series for Clinicians moves beyond foundational concepts to address challenging and clinically relevant GI nutrition topics. The program emphasizes practical decision-making and provides strategies that healthcare professionals can apply when managing patients with complex gastrointestinal and nutritional needs.

What You Will Learn

Participants will develop knowledge and practical skills related to:

• Understanding complex nutritional care for patients with gastrointestinal disorders
• Identifying reliable, evidence-based resources for GI nutrition and nutrition support
• Evaluating appropriate pharmacological interventions and dosing considerations for specific GI conditions
• Improving interdisciplinary collaboration between gastroenterologists, dietitians, pharmacists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals
• Evaluating feeding strategies for critically ill and medically complex patients
• Understanding the benefits, limitations, and implementation challenges of different nutrition approaches
• Assessing gastrointestinal function and its impact on nutritional status
• Developing appropriate nutrition regimens for complex patient populations

Course Topics

GI Barriers to Effective Tube Feeding: Why “TF Intolerance” Is Not the Diagnosis

This session examines the challenges associated with enteral feeding and gastrointestinal tolerance.

Key areas include:

• Barriers to effective tube feeding
• Understanding enteral nutrition intolerance
• Evaluation of gastrointestinal symptoms during tube feeding
• Identifying underlying causes of feeding difficulties
• Distinguishing symptoms from clinical diagnoses
• Approaches to improving enteral nutrition delivery
• Practical considerations for complex patients

The session emphasizes the importance of identifying the underlying cause of feeding problems rather than relying solely on the broad description of “tube feeding intolerance.”

Nausea, Vomiting, and Malnutrition: What Could Go Wrong?

This topic explores the relationship between nausea, vomiting, inadequate nutritional intake, and malnutrition.

Areas of focus include:

• Causes and clinical implications of nausea and vomiting
• The nutritional consequences of persistent gastrointestinal symptoms
• Assessment of patients at risk for malnutrition
• Strategies for maintaining adequate nutritional intake
• Nutrition support considerations
• Pharmacological management
• Identifying complications that may contribute to worsening nutritional status
• Practical approaches to complex GI presentations

Transitioning from Pediatric to Adult Care in Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders

This session addresses the nutritional and clinical challenges that can arise when patients with chronic gastrointestinal disorders transition from pediatric to adult healthcare.

Topics include:

• Continuity of care during the transition to adult services
• Long-term nutritional management of chronic GI disease
• Changes in nutritional requirements with age
• Complex gastrointestinal conditions in young adults
• Communication between pediatric and adult healthcare teams
• Patient education and self-management
• Interdisciplinary approaches to transition planning

Complex Nutritional Issues After GI Surgery

Surgical alteration of the gastrointestinal tract can have significant consequences for digestion, absorption, nutritional requirements, and long-term patient management.

This session explores:

• Nutritional consequences of gastrointestinal surgery
• Changes in GI anatomy and physiology
• Malabsorption and nutritional deficiencies
• Postoperative nutrition support
• Enteral and parenteral nutrition considerations
• Long-term nutritional monitoring
• Complications associated with surgical loss of GI function
• Development of individualized nutrition strategies

Practical Clinical Focus

A key component of the series is its emphasis on real-world clinical application. The program addresses situations that healthcare professionals may encounter when managing patients with complex gastrointestinal conditions.

Participants gain practical insight into:

• Assessing gastrointestinal function
• Identifying barriers to nutrition delivery
• Managing feeding difficulties
• Evaluating drug-nutrient interactions
• Selecting appropriate nutrition support strategies
• Developing individualized feeding plans
• Managing patients with surgically altered GI anatomy
• Addressing malnutrition associated with GI disease
• Coordinating multidisciplinary care

Interdisciplinary Approach

Effective management of complex GI nutrition cases frequently requires collaboration across multiple specialties. The series promotes communication and coordinated decision-making among members of the healthcare team.

The content is relevant to professionals working in:

• Gastroenterology
• Clinical nutrition
• Nutrition support
• Surgery
• Critical care
• Pharmacy
• Nursing
• Dietetics
• Pediatric and adult GI care

Who Should Attend?

The ASPEN GI Nutrition Series for Clinicians 2024–2025 is intended for healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with gastrointestinal diseases and complex nutritional needs, including:

• Dietitians and nutritionists
• Registered dietitian nutritionists
• Nurses and nurse practitioners
• Pharmacists
• Physicians
• Gastroenterologists
• Surgeons
• Hospitalists
• Clinical nutrition specialists
• Nutrition support professionals
• GI fellowship participants
• Medical and healthcare trainees

Why This Series Is Valuable

Bedside-Focused Education

The series emphasizes practical knowledge developed through clinical experience, addressing nuances that may not be fully covered by traditional textbooks or introductory nutrition education.

Management of Complex GI Conditions

Participants can expand their understanding of challenging gastrointestinal nutrition problems and develop greater confidence when approaching patients with complex nutritional requirements.

Practical Application

The program focuses on strategies that can be incorporated into clinical practice, including assessment of GI function, management of feeding difficulties, medication considerations, and implementation of appropriate nutrition support.

Evidence-Based Resources

Participants are introduced to reliable resources that can support further investigation and evidence-based decision-making in GI nutrition and nutrition support.

Multidisciplinary Patient Care

The series highlights the importance of collaboration among physicians, dietitians, pharmacists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to improve nutritional care and patient outcomes.

Included Educational Content

This product contains the educational content from the ASPEN GI Nutrition Series for Clinicians 2024–2025, covering the following lectures:

1. GI Barriers to Effective Tube Feeding: Why “TF Intolerance” Is Not the Diagnosis
2. Nausea, Vomiting, and Malnutrition: What Could Go Wrong?
3. Some Things Clinicians Should Know When Kids with Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders Transition to Adult Care
4. When Surgical Loss Has a Cost: Complex Nutritional Issues After GI Surgery

The series provides a focused educational resource for clinicians seeking practical, clinically applicable knowledge in gastrointestinal nutrition, nutrition support, and the management of complex GI disorders.