JACN Did you know that you can get alerts when a new issue is online?
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ford, E. G.
Right arrow Articles by Andrassy, R. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ford, E. G.
Right arrow Articles by Andrassy, R. J.

Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol 11, Issue 1 11-16, Copyright © 1992 by American College of Nutrition

CLINICAL TRIAL

Clinical comparison of tolerance to elemental or polymeric enteral feedings in the postoperative patient

E. G. Ford, S. F. Hull, L. M. Jennings and R. J. Andrassy
University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston.

Thirty consecutive patients (19-71 years of age) undergoing abdominal operations and having feeding catheter jejunostomy tubes placed, were prospectively randomized and studied for tolerance to elemental (amino acid) or polymeric (intact protein isolates) dietary formulas. The groups were matched for sex, age, height, weight, operations, and caloric goal. Nutritional profiles of the patients were similar preoperatively. The number of stools/day and stool consistency were direct indicators of tolerance; nutrient intake was an indirect indicator. Diarrhea is defined as greater than or equal to five stools/day. We found no significant difference between the groups. There were no patients with diarrhea on days 1 or 2. Formula intake as an indirect measure of tolerance was not significantly different for the two groups from days 1-4. On day 5, intake of the elemental group exceeded that of the polymeric group (p less than 0.02). Enteral caloric intake as percent of caloric goal did not differ. Nitrogen intake, urinary nitrogen, serum prealbumin, body weight, serum sodium, and serum potassium did not differ significantly between the two groups throughout the study. Serum chloride decreased significantly (105 to 99.8 mEq/L) in the elemental group (p less than 0.03). Our study shows that patients undergoing routine gastrointestinal operations will tolerate early enteral feedings (day 1) and that there is no significant difference in tolerance to elemental or polymeric dietary formulas.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Clin Nurs ResHome page
K. J. Lebak, D. Z. Bliss, K. Savik, and K. M. Patten-Marsh
What's New on Defining Diarrhea in Tube-Feeding Studies?
Clin Nurs Res, May 1, 2003; 12(2): 174 - 204.
[Abstract] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1992 by the American College of Nutrition.