title: Impact of early enteral nutrition on in-hospital mortality in patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We conducted this study to evaluate the clinical impact of early enteral nutrition (EN) on in-hospital mortality and outcome in patients with critical hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed 123 ICH patients with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 3-12. We divided the subjects into two groups : early EN group (< 48 hours, n = 89) and delayed EN group (≥ 48 hours, n = 34). Body weight, total intake and output, serum albumin, C-reactive protein, infectious complications, morbidity at discharge and in-hospital mortality were compared with statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of nosocomial pneumonia and length of intensive care unit stay were significantly lower in the early EN group than in the delayed EN group (p < 0.05). In-hospital mortality was less in the early EN group than in the delayed EN group (10.1% vs. 35.3%, respectively; p = 0.001). By multivariate analysis, early EN [odds ratio (OR) 0.229, 95% CI : 0.066-0.793], nosocomial pneumonia (OR = 5.381, 95% CI : 1.621-17.865) and initial GCS score (OR = 1.482 95% CI : 1.160-1.893) were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with critical hypertensive ICH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that early EN is an important predictor of outcome in patients with critical hypertensive ICH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Shik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Cheol-Su
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Jwa
authors.forename: Hyeong-Joong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Hyoung-Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chun