[Effects of rhubarb and different routes of nutrition support on invasive fungal infection].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of rhubarb and the different routes of nutrition support on invasive fungal infection.


METHODS
One thousand and ninety patients, who suffered from sepsis subsequent to trauma, shock and infection were enrolled in this study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups, 637 cases in rhubarb preventive treatment group and 453 cases in non-preventive rhubarb treatment group. They were again divided into four subgroups: enteral nutrition support, and no nutrition support group. The incidence of invasive fungal infection was observed in those groups.


RESULTS
The incidence of invasive fungal infection in rhubarb preventive treatment group (3.0%) was much lower than that in non-preventive rhubarb treatment group (11.5%). There was significant difference between two groups (P<0.05). Furthermore, fewer patients developed invasive fungal infection in enteral nutrition support and enteral combined parenteral nutrition support subgroups after preventive rhubarb treatment (0.9% and 2.1%), compared with parenteral nutrition support and no nutrition support subgroups (30.4% and 61.3%) and corresponding subgroups with non-preventive treatment of rhubarb (3.9% and 7.1%, P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, the route of nutrition support also affected the incidence of invasive fungal infection. Patients in enteral nutrition support and enteral combined parenteral nutrition support subgroups had lower incidence of invasive fungal infection than in parenteral nutrition support and no nutrition support subgroups (all P<0.05), and the incidence was the highest in no nutrition support subgroup. There were no significant difference between parenteral nutrition support and no nutrition support subgroups.


CONCLUSIONS
Rhubarb and enteral nutrition support have preventive effects on invasive fungal infection via gut mechanism.
Chen
De-chang
DC
Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai 200003, China.
Yang
Xing-yi
XY
Zhao
Liang
L
Lin
Zhao-fen
ZF
Shan
Hong-wei
HW
Li
Wen-fang
WF
Guo
Chang-xing
CX
D006801:Humans; D009181:Mycoses / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018529:Nutritional Support / Q000379:methods*; D012250:Rheum; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications