Key result
An elemental diet successfully converted all 11 severely debilitated malnourished patients to a positive nitrogen balance prior to surgery, with all tolerating operations and healing without difficulty.
Why the study?
Does an elemental diet improve nutritional status and surgical outcomes in severely debilitated malnourished patients?
Observational (n=11)
Does an elemental diet improve nutritional status and surgical outcomes in severely debilitated malnourished patients?
An elemental diet successfully improved nutritional status and surgical outcomes in severely debilitated malnourished patients preparing for surgery.
May support elemental diet for preoperative optimization in malnourished patients; hypothesis-generating pending randomized confirmation.
An elemental diet was used to prepare 11 severely debilitated malnourished patients for operation. Indications included: 1) as a substitute for parenteral hyperalimentation when catheter sepsis occurred with the latter; 2) high small fistulae; 3) short bowel syndrome; 4) radiation enteritis; and 5) partial obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract. All patients were converted to a positive nitrogen balance as evidenced by a substantial gain in weight and in serum albumin levels. All tolerated corrective operations without difficulty and their wounds healed per primum.
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Nealon et al. (1974) conducted an observational in Severely debilitated malnourished patients prior to surgery (n=11). Elemental diet was evaluated on Conversion to a positive nitrogen balance, tolerance of corrective operations, and wound healing. An elemental diet successfully converted all 11 severely debilitated malnourished patients to a positive nitrogen balance prior to surgery, with all tolerating operations and healing without difficulty.
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