Effect of enteral nutrition support on prognosis in patients with severe acute stroke

Objective To investigate the effect of enteral nutrition support on prognosis in patients with severe acute stroke.Methods 54 cases of severe acute stroke were divided into nutrition-supported group(30 cases) and control group(24 cases) randomly. All patients were treated by conventional therapy.Nutrition-supported group received high-energy nutrition diet and control group received common liquid diet by nasal feeding.The levels of hemoglobin, serum albumin, prealbumin, triacylglycerol, neurologic impairment score(NIHSS),the incidence rates of hypoproteinemia and infective complications were assessed at the 1st d,the 10th d and the 21st d after admission.Activity of daily living (ADL) was also observed at the 30th d after admission.Results The nutrition indeces in both groups were descend at the 10th d and the 21st d after admission in both groups, and there were significantly lower in the control group than those in nutrition-supported group(allP0.05);the incidence rates of hypoproteinemia and infection complications in the control group were obviously higher at the 10th d and the 21st d(allP0.05).However,the incidence rates of infective complications in nutrition-supported group were lower significantly than those in the control group at the 10th d and the 21st d(allP0.05).NIHSS in both groups were improved at the 21st d, while more significantly in nutrition-supported group (allP0.05).At the 30th d,the rates of cure and take care on oneself in nutrition-supported group(ADLⅠ,23%;ADLⅠ~Ⅲ,86%)were significantly higher than those in the control group(12%,66%)(allP0.05).Conclusion Early enteral nutrition support can significantly improve nutritional status and decrease the incidence rates of infective complications in patients with severe acute stroke,and helpful for clinical prognosis.