title: Early oral refeeding wisdom in patients with mild acute pancreatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety and efficacy of early oral refeeding (EORF) in patients with mild acute pancreatitis (AP) and to investigate the optimal duration to commence EORF.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, randomized, controlled trial was conducted in patients with mild AP. Patients with EORF (started oral feeding once they subjectively felt hungry) were compared with patients receiving routine oral refeeding (RORF) for time interval between disease onset and initiation of oral refeeding, total length of hospitalization (LOH), postrefeeding LOH, and adverse gastrointestinal events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 75 and 74 patients in the EORF group and the RORF group, respectively, with comparable baseline characteristics. Patients in the EORF group started refeeding significantly earlier than those in the RORF group (4.56 ± 1.53 vs 6.75 ± 2.29 days; P < 0.05). Moreover, patients in the EORF group had significantly shorter total (6.8 ± 2.1 vs 10.4 ± 4.1 days; P < 0.01) and post refeeding LOH (2.24 ± 0.52 vs 3.27 ± 0.61 days; P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in adverse gastrointestinal events between the 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with mild AP, EORF, with the subjective feeling of hunger, is safe, feasible, and reduces LOH.
authors: Pancreatic Diseases Research Group, Department of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Gui-Jun
authors: GJ
authors: Xue
authors: Yi-Ling
authors: YL
authors: Liu
authors: Muhammad A
authors: MA
authors: Javed
authors: Xian-Lin
authors: XL
authors: Zhao
authors: Mei-Hua
authors: MH
authors: Wan
authors: Guang-Yuan
authors: GY
authors: Chen
authors: Kiran
authors: K
authors: Altaf
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Huang
authors: Wen-Fu
authors: WF
authors: Tang
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China; D004435:Eating; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult