The clinical study on the enteral nutrition improving the nutritional metabolism and intestinal mucosa barrier of aged post-traumatic patients.

Objective To evaluate the effects of enteral nutrition on the nutritional metabolism and the permeability of intestinal mucosa in aged post-traumatic patients. Methods The prospective, randomized and controlled study was designed. Twenty-five aged patients who were performed on abdominal operation were divided into EN group(12) and PN group(13). The two groups were comparable. EN group received protein nutrition (Fresubin neutral), PN group received parenteral nutrition of equal nitrogen and equal calories with the EN group. The plasma glutamine concentration, plasma protein, accumulative nitrogen balance, intestinal mucosal permeability, immunoglubulin, the infection related complications and the cost for nutritional support were observed and compared. Results After different nutritional support for 6 days, the plasma glutamine, accumulative nitrogen balance, IgG and IgM of EN group were all higher than that of the PN group and showed statistically significant difference (P0.05). Change of L/M ratio (0.012±0.011 vs 0.038±0.022) was lower than PN group. The plasma protein results were similar in two groups. One patient in EN group and 2 patients in PN group showed infection related complications. The cost of nutritional support in EN group was 36.6% of the PN group. Conclusions EN improves the nutritional metabolism, supports intestinal mucosa barrier, and decreases the complications, and also, was more economical.