The impact of early nutrition on metabolic response and postoperative ileus.
OBJECTIVE
Early nutrition has been evaluated and used as a possible strategy to decrease the negative impact of the metabolic response to injury and postoperative ileus. The metabolic response to injury, be it surgical or traumatic, is a physiological mechanism that, according to the magnitude and duration of the event, can impact on the patient's morbidity and survival. The adequate initial approach is a determinant factor that might influence its outcome. Simultaneously, gastrointestinal tract motility is transiently impaired, leading to the so-called postoperative ileus. The latter not only causes patient discomfort, but is also related to abdominal complications and worsening of the nutritional status, as well as increased length of hospital stay and costs.


RESULTS
Multimodal surgical strategies such as preoperative intake of a carbohydrate drink, together with patient education of the postoperative care plan, efficacious analgesia and early nutrition have been described to significantly decrease the stress response and improve the ileus. Therefore, these strategies accelerate rehabilitation and, as a consequence, decrease complications and length of hospital stay and its related costs.


CONCLUSIONS
Understanding perioperative pathophysiology and implementing care regimes through a multimodal approach in order to reduce the stress of the operation and the related postoperative ileus are major challenges. These factors will certainly impact on patient outcomes.
Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, and Alfa Institute of Gastroenterology, Hospital das Clínicas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. isabel_correia@uol.com.br
Maria Isabel Toulson Davisson
MI
Correia
Rodrigo Gomes
RG
da Silva
D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D045823:Ileus / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007902:Length of Stay; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000009:adverse effects*