Sequential enteral nutrition support for patients with severe cerebral stroke / 浙江大学学报·医学版

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy of sequential enteral nutrition support in patients with severe cerebral stroke.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-nine patients with severe cerebral stroke met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into sequential enteral nutrition group (Group A, n=24) and conventional enteral nutrition group (Group B, n=25). Patients in Group A received short-peptide-based enteral nutrition support first, then gradually transferred to intact protein enteral nutrition. Meanwhile, patients in Group B constantly received intact protein enteral nutrition support. The nutritional indexes and the rate of complications were compared between two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The nutritional indexes were decreased in both groups within 4 weeks after admission, but the decreasing levels of hemoglobin and albumin in Group A were significantly lower than those in Group B (P<0.05), and the incidence of infections and gastrointestinal hemorrhage in Group A was also lower than that in Group B (P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in body weight, BMI, triceps skinfold thickness, biceps circumference, arm muscle circumference between two groups (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sequential enteral nutritional support can improve the nutritional status and decrease the incidence of complications in critical patients with cerebral stroke.</p>