Effect of early enteral nutrition on elderly patients with gastric cancer after total gastrectomy

Objective To explore the effect of early enteral nutrition(EEN) on elderly patients with gastric cancer after total gastrectomy(TG). Methods A total of 76 cases of elderly patients with gastric cancer accepted TG in our hospital from April 2012 to January 2014 were selected, according to different ways for postoperative nutritional support, patients were divided into EEN group with 38, patients received EEN support, and parenteral nutrition(PN) group with 38 patients treated with conventional deep vein PN.Statistics postoperative bowel function recovery time hospital stay and complications in patients, as well as nutritional indicators(serum protein ALB, transferrin and 24h urea nitrogen(24hUP)) and immune function index(CD3, CD4, CD8, CD4/CD8 and NK cell activity) at 10d after surgery were recorded and compared. Results Time of anal exhaust, time of anal defecation and hospital stay in the EEN group were(53.5±10.2) h, (78.7±15.4) h and(13.6±3.4) d, and were(66.7±11.5) h, (114.2±13.6) h and(21.5±3.5) d in PN group, the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05); complications in EEN group was 13.2%(5/38), and was 34.2%(13/38) in the PN group, the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05); nutrition indicators and immune function indicators 7 d after surgery in EN group were significantly better than those in the PN group, the difference was statistically significance(P<0.05). Conclusions Given EEN nutritional support to elderly patients with gastric cancer after surgery is safe and effective, and is benefit to immune function recovery and clinical signs improvement, thus worthy of further promotion in clinical practice. Key words: EEN; Elderly gastric cancer; PN; Immune function