Serum TE levels have limitations which make the results difficult to interpret, especially in the acute setting. Because of these limitations, practitioners need to consider factors other than TE levels when assessing TE status. This article discusses five TEs encountered in dietetic practice namely zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) suggesting a practical approach to assessing the status of each. For the purposes of description they are considered individually, but in practice they should be considered together. There is a need for new tests of TE status to be developed which are reliable in the acute setting. Until such tests are available, the assessment of TE status will entail some uncertainty and practitioners should be mindful of this when deciding on TE provision
