Does early enteral feeding affect clinical outcome or cytokine profiles after elective surgery for colocectal cancer?
Baker EA, Williams L, El-Gaddal Sanaa, Bergin F, Leaper DJ. Turk J Med Sci 2005; 35:229-34. [Full text] Patients who have intestinal cancer are prone to malnutrition, which can result in deterioration of physiological function, poor wound healing, increased risk of infection and prolonged hospital stay. These complications are particularly relevant after colorectal surgery. Early enteral feeding, to enhance nutritional status, has been reported to reduce post-operative complications, length of hospital stay and morbidity and mortality after upper gastro-intestinal cancer surgery. Inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-a (a)), clinical outcomes and postoperative complications were measured in 147 patients undergoing elective surgery for colorectal cancer (84 standard care; 64 patients had early enteral feeding in addition). There were no significant differences in age, length of operation, complication rate or days to discharge between the two groups. IL-6 levels peaked on POD-1 in both grou
