title: [Sequential enteral nutrition support for patients with severe cerebral stroke].
abstract: To evaluate the efficacy of sequential enteral nutrition support in patients with severe cerebral stroke.
  
  
  
  Forty-nine patients with severe cerebral stroke met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into sequential enteral nutrition group (Group A, n=24) and conventional enteral nutrition group (Group B, n=25). Patients in Group A received short-peptide-based enteral nutrition support first, then gradually transferred to intact protein enteral nutrition. Meanwhile, patients in Group B constantly received intact protein enteral nutrition support. The nutritional indexes and the rate of complications were compared between two groups.
  
  
  
  The nutritional indexes were decreased in both groups within 4 weeks after admission, but the decreasing levels of hemoglobin and albumin in Group A were significantly lower than those in Group B (P<0.05), and the incidence of infections and gastrointestinal hemorrhage in Group A was also lower than that in Group B (P<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in body weight, BMI, triceps skinfold thickness, biceps circumference, arm muscle circumference between two groups (P>0.05).
  
  
  
  Sequential enteral nutritional support can improve the nutritional status and decrease the incidence of complications in critical patients with cerebral stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China.
authors.forename: Jiefang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xudong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Lisan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xingyue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*