COMPARISON OF OUTCOME BETWEEN EARLY ENTERAL FEEDING AND CONVENTIONAL DELAYED ENTERAL FEEDING IN ACUTE SEVERE PANCREATITIS

Outcome of Early Vs Delayed Feeding in Pancreatitis

Abstract

Objective: To compare the duration of hospital stay in patients with acute severe pancreatitis having early enteral feeding with that of conventional delayed enteral feeding.
Study Design: Randomized controlled trial (RCT). 
Place and Duration of Study: Surgical Departments of Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi from 1 Jan 2010 to 31 Dec 2010 for a time period of 1 year.
Material and Methods: Sixty patients admitted with acute severe pancreatitis were included in study and randomly divided into two groups using random number tables. Patients in group A were allowed early enteral feeding while Group B patients followed delayed enteral feeding schedule. Clinical and biochemical follow up was carried out on daily basis. Patients were discharged when they were clinically asymptomatic (no pain or nausea, vomiting) and when serum amylase level fell to <100 IU/L. The outcome was assessed in terms of duration of hospital stay in both groups.
Results: In group A, 24 (80.0%) patients and in group B, 26 (86.7%) patients were male, groups being comparable (p= 0.49). Mean age of the patients in two groups was 39.71 ± 5.4 and 39.1 ± 4.9 years respectively (p=0.65). Median hospital stay in group A was 10.8 days while in Group B, it was 16.4 days, difference being statistically significant (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Early enteral feeding is effective nutritional support in acute severe pancreatitis when compared with delayed enteral feeding in terms of hospital stay.