title: [The safety of early enteral feeding after emergency gastrointestinal surgery].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Postoperative early feeding has many advantages, and current guidelines recommend the early diet or enteral feeding after gastrointestinal surgery. However, there are controversies in emergency situation. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of early enteral feeding in patients underwent emergency gastrointestinal (GI) surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the patients underwent emergency GI surgery by single surgeon from March 2008 to December 2010, retrospectively. The early feeding was defined when feeding was started within 72 hours after operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-three patients were enrolled. Men were 31, with mean 60.6 (±18.5) years old age. Thirty-three patients were treated in the intensive-care unit after operation. The most common cause of operation was bowel perforation, and followed by intestinal obstruction. Segmental resection with primary anastomosis of small bowel is the most common operation. Thirty-two of them started the diet within 48 hours postoperatively. Twenty-nine patients had post-operative complications. Wound complications were the most common, and followed by the abdominal pain, and ileus. Wound complications were developed in 18 patients, and the post-feeding abdominal pain was in 7 patients. Anastomotic leakage and intraabdominal abscess were developed in 2 patients, and 1 patient required reoperation to treat the anastomotic disruption. One patient developed pneumonia and sepsis, and resolved under conservative treatment. There was no mortality in these patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early enteral feeding may be safe in cases of emergency GI surgery. However, it may require further studies to confirm the safety and feasibility of the early feeding in emergency situations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung Soon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hong Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Ho Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae Gil
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyung Sik
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology