title: Early enteral nutrition does not decrease hypermetabolism associated with burn injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A prospective, randomized study was performed to compare the effects of early versus late enteral feeding on postburn metabolism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Burn patients were randomized to receive enteral feedings either within 24 hours (early) or 7 days (late) of injury. Basal energy expenditure (BEE) was calculated from Harris-Benedict equations and resting energy expenditure (REE) was obtained from indirect calorimetry. The average daily energy expenditure (DEE) was expressed as REE/BEE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average age, burn size, infections, and length of stay were similar between groups. Mortality between groups was similar (early, 28%; late, 38%) and not significantly influenced by inhalation injury. When controlled for percentage of total body surface area burn, inhalation injury, and age, the early group had an increased rather than decreased DEE, with a mean DEE calorie 0.17 more than the late group (p = 0.07).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early enteral feeding does not decrease the average energy expenditure associated with burn injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina Healthcare, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. mpeck@unc.med.edu
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Peck
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Cairns
authors.forename: Yih-Harn
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ivanova
authors.forename: Wesley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schooler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors