The importance of early postoperative enteral feeding (original) (raw)
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The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2018
This is an update of the review last published in 2011. It focuses on early postoperative enteral nutrition after lower gastrointestinal surgery. Traditional management consisted of 'nil by mouth', where patients receive fluids followed by solids after bowel function has returned. Although several trials have reported lower incidence of infectious complications and faster wound healing upon early feeding, other trials have shown no effect. The immediate advantage of energy intake (carbohydrates, protein or fat) could enhance recovery with fewer complications, and this warrants a systematic evaluation. To evaluate whether early commencement of postoperative enteral nutrition (within 24 hours), oral intake and any kind of tube feeding (gastric, duodenal or jejunal), compared with traditional management (delayed nutritional supply) is associated with a shorter length of hospital stay (LoS), fewer complications, mortality and adverse events in patients undergoing lower gastroint...
Surgical Science, 2012
Introduction: Early feeding within 24 hours of intestinal surgery seems advantageous in terms of reduction of wound infection, pneumonia and length of hospital stay. The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of early enteral nutrition in length of hospital stay in comparison to traditional postoperative feeding regimen. Method: This prospective study enrolled 95 patients randomized in two groups: control group patients receive enteral feeding in absence of nausea or vomiting, abdominal distension and after passage of flatus or stools, while patients in experimental group were fed a liquid diet within 12 hours of surgery, followed by a regular diet at the next meal. The primary endpoint was the impact of early oral feeding on hospital length of stay. The secondary endpoint was to measure the impact of the diet reintroduction modality on the incidence of early postoperative morbidity and return of bowel function. Result: Length of hospital stay was slightly diminished in the experimental group compared to control (8.78 ± 3.85 versus 9.41 ± 5.22), but the difference was not statistically significant. Postoperative nausea and vomiting were reported in 24 (51.0%) patients in experimental group and 30 (62.5%) in control group. Only one patient required nasogastric tube insertion. The majority of patients did not demonstrate any postoperative morbidity in both groups. Conclusion: Early enteral nutrition is safe after intestinal surgery. However we did not demonstrate that early enteral feeding diminished length of hospital stay or hastened the return of bowel function.
Indian journal of critical care medicine : peer-reviewed, official publication of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine, 2016
Benefit of early enteral feeds in surgical patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) has been emphasized by several studies. Apprehensions about anastomotic leaks in gastrointestinal surgical patients prevent initiation of early enteral nutrition (EN). The impact of these practices on outcome in Indian scenario is less studied. This study compares the impact of early EN (within 48 h after surgery) with late EN (48 h postsurgery) on outcomes in abdominal surgical ICU patients. Postabdominal surgery patients admitted to a tertiary referral hospital ICU over a 2-year period were analyzed. Only patients directly admitted to ICU after abdominal surgery were included in this study. ICU stay>3 days was considered as prolonged; with average ICU length of stay (LOS) for this ICU being 3 days. The primary outcome was in-patient mortality. ICU LOS, hospital LOS, infection rates, and ventilator days were secondary outcome measures. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II sco...
Enteral vs Parenteral Nutrition After Major Abdominal Surgery: An Even Match
Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 2002
Immediate enteral feeding following major abdominal surgery reduces postoperative complications and mortality when compared with parenteral nutrition. Design: A prospective multicenter randomized trial. Setting: A university hospital department of digestive surgery. Patients and Interventions: Two hundred fortyone malnourished patients undergoing major elective abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to receive, after surgery, either enteral (enteral nutrition group: 119 patients) or parenteral nutrition (total parenteral nutrition group: 122 patients). The patients were monitored for postoperative complications and mortality. Results: The rate of major postoperative complications was similar in the enteral and parenteral groups (enteral nutrition group: 37.8%; total parenteral nutrition group: 39.3%; P was not significant), as were the overall postoperative mortality rates (5.9% and 2.5%, respectively; P was not significant). Conclusion: The present study failed to demonstrate that enteral feeding following major abdominal surgery reduces postoperative complications and mortality when compared with parenteral nutrition.
British Journal of Surgery, 2001
Background Although studies have shown that early oral feeding after abdominal surgery is feasible, many surgeons still advocate a careful, slow introduction of postoperative oral feeding. This study was conducted to investigate whether patient-controlled postoperative feeding is possible in patients undergoing colonic or aortic surgery. Methods A randomized clinical trial compared patient-controlled postoperative oral feeding (PC group) with a fixed regimen (FR group). Patients in the PC group (n = 56) received oral feeding when they requested it; patients in the FR group (n = 49) started a normal diet on day 5. Endpoints were time to tolerance of a diet similar to the preoperative diet, reinsertion of a nasogastric tube, complications and duration of hospitalization. Results Median time to resumption of a normal diet was 3 days in the PC group and 5 days in the FR group (P < 0·001). Reinsertion of a nasogastric tube was required in nine patients in each group (P not significant...
Comparative Analysis of Early versus Late Enteral Feeding after Gastrointestinal Surgeries
Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2021
Background: Despite of widespread belief, clinical studies and animal experiments have suggested that initiation of early feeding after surgery has many advantages. Present study was planned for comparing outcomes of early and late enteral feeding in patients who were undergoing gastrointestinal surgeries in our settings. This would help the surgeons to select better option for earlier recovery after surgery Objective: To compare the outcome of early versus late enteral feeding in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgeries. Design: It was a randomized controlled trial. Study Settings: The study was conducted at Department of General Surgery, PIMS Islamabad for a period of six months w.e.f 20-12-2017 to 19-06-2018. Patients and Methods: A total of two hundred (n=200) patients of both gender between age 15-70 years, who had been scheduled for elective or emergency gastrointestinal surgery were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomized early (Group A, <24 hours after surgery) and late enteral feeding (Group B, <24 hours after surgery). Outcomes were estimated in terms of infection, anastomotic leak and duration of hospital stay in both groups. Results: Mean age of the patients was 36.8±11.2. There were total 85 females and 115 males with female to male ratio of 1:1.35. Mean duration of hospital stay was 2.62 days ± 0.71 in group A and it was 6.55 days ± 0.71 2.93SD in groups B (P=0.001). Wound infection rate (8% vs 33%, P=0.001) and anastomotic leak rate (0% vs 10%, P=0.001) was also significantly lower in group A when compared with group B. Conclusion: Initiation of early enteral feeding (within 24 hours post operatively) in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgeries has an immediate advantage of caloric intake and results in faster recovery with fewer complications. Similar results are found in the literature. We recommend early initiation (within 24 hours after surgery) of enteral feeding in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgeries.
Randomized clinical trial of the impact of early enteral feeding on postoperative ileus and recovery
British Journal of Surgery, 2007
Background: Postoperative convalescence is mainly determined by the extent and duration of postoperative ileus. This randomized clinical trial evaluated the effects of early oral feeding on functional gastrointestinal recovery and quality of life. Methods: One hundred and twenty-eight patients undergoing elective open colorectal or abdominal vascular surgery participated in the trial. Of these, 67 were randomized to a conventional return to diet, and 61 to a regimen allowing resumption of an oral diet as soon as tolerated (free diet group). Results: Reinsertion of a nasogastric tube was necessary in 20 per cent of the free diet group and 10 per cent of the conventional group (P = 0•213). The complication rate was similar for both groups, as was return of gastrointestinal function. A normal diet was tolerated after a median of 2 days in the free diet group compared with 5 days in the conventional group (P < 0•001). Quality of life scores were similar in both groups. Conclusion: Early resumption of oral intake does not diminish the duration of postoperative ileus or lead to a significantly increased rate of nasogastric tube reinsertion. Tolerance of oral diet is not influenced by gastrointestinal functional recovery. As there is no reason to withhold oral intake following open colorectal or abdominal vascular surgery, postoperative management should include early resumption of diet.
The impact of early nutrition on metabolic response and postoperative ileus
Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 2004
Purpose of review Early nutrition has been evaluated and used as a possible strategy to decrease the negative impact of the metabolic response to injury and postoperative ileus. The metabolic response to injury, be it surgical or traumatic, is a physiological mechanism that, according to the magnitude and duration of the event, can impact on the patient's morbidity and survival. The adequate initial approach is a determinant factor that might influence its outcome. Simultaneously, gastrointestinal tract motility is transiently impaired, leading to the so-called postoperative ileus. The latter not only causes patient discomfort, but is also related to abdominal complications and worsening of the nutritional status, as well as increased length of hospital stay and costs. Recent findings Multimodal surgical strategies such as preoperative intake of a carbohydrate drink, together with patient education of the postoperative care plan, efficacious analgesia and early nutrition have been described to significantly decrease the stress response and improve the ileus. Therefore, these strategies accelerate rehabilitation and, as a consequence, decrease complications and length of hospital stay and its related costs. Summary Understanding perioperative pathophysiology and implementing care regimes through a multimodal approach in order to reduce the stress of the operation and the related postoperative ileus are major challenges. These factors will certainly impact on patient outcomes.
Background: A meta-analysis evaluating surgical outcomes following nutritional provision provided proximal to the anastomosis within 24 hours of gastrointestinal surgery compared with traditional postoperative management was conducted. Methods: Databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials comparing the outcomes of early and traditional postoperative feeding. Trials involving gastrointestinal tract resection followed by patients receiving nutritionally significant oral or enteral intake within 24 hours after surgery were included for analysis. Results: Fifteen studies involving a total of 1240 patients were analyzed. A statistically significant reduction (45%) in relative odds of total postoperative complications was seen in patients receiving early postoperative feeding (odds ratio [OR] 0.55; confidence interval [CI], 0.35 –0.87, P = .01). No effect of early feeding was seen with relation to anastomotic dehiscence (OR 0.75; CI, 0.39–1.4, P = .39), mortality (OR 0.71; CI, 0.32–1.56, P = .39), days to passage of flatus (weighted mean difference [WMD] –0.42; CI, –1.12 to 0.28, P = .23), first bowel motion (WMD –0.28; CI, –1.20 to 0.64, P = .55), or reduced length of stay (WMD –1.28; CI, –2.94 to 0.38, P = .13); however, the direction of clinical outcomes favored early feeding. Nasogastric tube reinsertion was less common in traditional feeding interventions (OR 1.48; CI, 0.93–2.35, P = .10). Conclusions: Early postoperative nutrition is associated with significant reductions in total complications compared with traditional postoperative feeding practices and does not negatively affect outcomes such as mortality, anastomotic dehiscence, resumption of bowel function, or hospital length of stay. (JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2011;35:473-487)