Comparison of clinical efficacy between standard sequential early enteral nutrition plus parenteral nutrition and parenteral nutrition support in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery: a clinical randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy between standard sequential early enteral nutrition (EEN) plus parenteral nutrition (PN) and PN alone in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery. Methods Werandomly divided 126 patients who underwent laparotomy gastrointestinal surgery into EEN + PN group (n = 62) and PN group (n = 64). The levels of blood nutrition-related indicators, biochemical indicators, and inflammatory indicators were determined before surgery and 3 and 7 days after surgery, and the gastrointestinal function recovery time, complications, nutritional support cost, and length of hospital stay were compared between two groups. Results The preoperative nutrition-related indicators, biochemical indicators, and inflammatory indicators showed no significant differences between two groups (P >0. 05). Three days after operation, however, the levels of prealbumin in EEN + PN group were significantly higher than those in PN group [(160. 3 ±23. 0) g/L vs. (137.0±28.7) g/L, P=0.000]. Seven days after operation, the levels of albumin [(33.6±3.8) g/L vs. (31.8±4.7) g/L, P = 0.042], prealbumin [(210.6±34.6) g/L vs. (154.8 ±36.9) g/L, P=0.000], and lymphocyte cell count [(2.33±0.53) x 109/L vs. (1.04±0.36) × 109/L, P = 0. 046] in EEN + PN group were significantly higher than those in PN group, and the levels of serum γ-glutamyltransferase [(48. 12 ± 33.84) U/L vs. (71.54±34.00)U/L, P=0.048], C-reactive protein [(31.15 ± 19.00) mmol/L vs. (45.90 ± 23.21) mmol/L, P=0.042], total cholesterol [(3.09±0.83) mmol/L vs. (3.29±0.91) mmol/L, P = 0. 045] and low density lipoprotein [(2.01 ± 0. 39) mmol/L vs. (2. 31 ± 0. 72 ) mmol/L, P = 0. 049] were significantly lower than those in PN group. The postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery time in EEN + PN group was significantly shorter than that in PN group [(65. 7 ± 15. 6) hours vs. (75. 1 ± 27. 0) hours, P = 0. 036], and the total cost of perioperative nutrition in EEN + PN group was also significantly lower than in PN [(2634. 5 ±1306. 8) RMB vs. (3058. 6 ± 1216. 0) RMB, P= 0.046]. Conclusion Standard sequential EEN plus PN can increase the post-operative prealbumin level, improve the immune function, promote the recovery of gastrointestinal function, and decrease the cost of nutritional support. Key words: Gastrointestinal surgery; Nutritional support; Early enteral nutrition; Parenteral nutrition