The influence of Enteral Nutrition in postoperative patients with poor liver function

AIM: To investigate the safety, rationality and the practicality of enteral nutritional (EN) support in the postoperative patients with damaged liver function and the protective effect of EN on the gut barrier. METHODS: 135 patients with liver function of Child B or C grade were randomly allocated to enteral nutrition group (EN, 65 cases), total parenteral nutrition group (TPN, 40 cases) and control group (CON, 30 cases). Nutritional parameters, hepatic and kidney function indexes were measured at the day before operation, 5th and 10th day after the operation respectively. Comparison was made to evaluate the efficacy of different nutritional support. Urinary concentrations of lactulose(L) and mannitol(M) were measured by pulsed electrochemical detection(HPLC-PED) and the L/M ratio calculated to evaluate their effectiveness on protection of gut barrier. RESULTS: No significant damages in hepatic and kidney function were observed in both EN and TPN groups between pre- and postoperatively. EN group was the earliest one reaching the positive nitrogen balance after operation and with the lowest loss of body weight and there was no change in L/M ratio after the operation (0.026 +/- 0.004) at the day 1 before operation, 0.030 +/- 0.004 at the day 5 postoperative and 0.027 +/- 0.005 at the day 10 postoperative), but the change in TPN group was significant at the day 5 postoperative (0.027 +/- 0.003 vs 0.038 +/- 0.009,P<0.01). CONCLUSION: EN is a rational and effective method in patients with hepatic dysfunction after operation and has significant protection effect on the gut barrier.