title: Improvement of nutritional care after colon surgery: the impact of early oral nutrition in the postanesthesia care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of implementing early oral nutritional supplements in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) after colon surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled intervention study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients admitted for elective colon surgery were randomly assigned to either a group receiving early oral nutritional supplements (n=24) or traditional treatment with water or lemonade (n=22) in the PACU.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On the second postoperative day, patients in the early nutritional supplement group had a higher cumulative intake of energy (P=.019) and protein (P=.015) compared with the traditional treatment. Postoperative nausea and vomiting, pain, length of stay in the PACU, and need of a nasogastric tube did not differ significantly between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The nutritional course for patients undergoing colon surgery can be improved by implementing early oral nutritional supplements in the PACU.
authors: Louise Bang
authors: LB
authors: Grode
authors: Anette
authors: A
authors: Søgaard
mesh_terms: D003106:Colon / Q000601:surgery*; D004046:Dietetics; D006801:Humans; D016528:Postanesthesia Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: colon surgery; early oral nutrition; postanesthesia care unit; postoperative nursing