American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Nutrition Science and Practice Conference 2023

The ASPEN 2023 Nutrition Science & Practice Conference was the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Held in Las Vegas (and virtually), it is the primary venue where new clinical guidelines for nutrition support are introduced.
The 2023 edition was heavily focused on the theme of “resilience and recovery,” specifically addressing the post-pandemic landscape of supply chain shortages (parenteral nutrition components) and the shift from simply keeping patients alive to optimizing their functional recovery (“surviving vs. thriving”).
+ What You Will Learn
The curriculum provided critical updates on the science of metabolic support. Key learning outcomes included:

PN Safety: New consensus statements from ASPEN and ISMP (Institute for Safe Medication Practices) on the safe compounding and administration of Parenteral Nutrition.

Malnutrition & Muscle: Moving beyond weight loss to measuring sarcopenia and muscle mass as the true indicators of nutritional status (the “Muscle Matters” keynote).

Blenderized Diets: Practical protocols for using blenderized tube feedings in both pediatric and adult populations (a rapidly growing patient demand).

Intestinal Failure: Contemporary management of enterocutaneous fistulas and updates on GLP-2 analogs for rehabilitation.

+ Event Details

Event: ASPEN 2023 Nutrition Science & Practice Conference (ASPEN23)

Dates: April 20–23, 2023

Location: Paris Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

+ Who Should Attend
This is an interdisciplinary conference designed for the entire nutrition support team:

Dietitians (RD/RDNs): Seeking advanced certification maintenance (CNSC).

Pharmacists: Managing PN compounding and compatibility.

Physicians (Gastroenterologists/Surgeons/Intensivists): Who write TPN/EN orders.

Nurses: Managing central lines and enteral access devices.

+ Why Attend (or Review)

Crisis Management: The 2023 conference directly addressed the “Nutrition Access Crisis,” providing strategies for managing patients during national shortages of lipids, vitamins, and electrolytes.

GLIM Criteria: It featured the latest validation studies for the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, which are becoming the global standard for diagnosis.

Research Awards: The Rhoads Research Lecture (Dr. Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili) focused on the intersection of “Nutrition and Aging,” offering deep insights into managing the “Silver Tsunami” of geriatric patients.

+ Topics
The agenda was divided into specialized tracks:

Parenteral Nutrition (PN):

Consensus Statements: Standardizing PN labeling and filtering to reduce errors.

Lipid Emulsions: Clinical strategies for using SMOFlipid vs. Intralipid.

Critical Care & Metabolism:

The “Obesity Paradox”: How to feed the critically ill patient with obesity (hypocaloric, high-protein strategies).

Refeeding Syndrome: Updated risk stratification and management protocols.

Pediatrics & Neonatology:

Human Milk Fortification: New strategies for the NICU.

Pediatric Intestinal Failure: Innovative surgical and medical therapies (Dudrick Symposium).

Gastroenterology:

Microbiome: The role of prebiotics and probiotics in critical illness (separating hype from evidence).

Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS): Weaning strategies from PN.