Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is an extreme malabsorptive disorder associated with malnutrition, dehydration, and many co-morbidities. Because SBS is so rare and complex, the RDN may find themselves taking care of such a patient without the experience or tools to do so. This can lead to poor care for patients. An intestinal rehabilitation unit in the UK published an article titled "Mistakes in short bowel and how to avoid them" due to the sheer number of times these errors were experienced by patients referred to their specialized unit.

A common assumption is that if a patient with SBS does not require PN/IV fluids, their SBS is not that serious. The goal of this session is to equip the RDN to play an integral role in the identification of the patient with SBS, and to intervene appropriately with diet, hydration, and medication recommendations.