title: Enteral Nutritional Support in Patients with Head Injuries After Craniocerebral Surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of early enteral (EN) and parenteral nutritional (PN) support on head-injured patients after craniocerebral surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  We randomly divided 120 head trauma patients into two groups: those receiving EN and those receiving PN support (60 patients each). Physiological and biochemical indices, monitoring time and cost, and the incidence of complications were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More patients presented with complications in the PN than the EN group, and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). One week after surgery, albumin (ALB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and blood glucose (GLU) levels were 39.6 ± 3.3 U/L, 51.4 ± 5.6 U/L, and 9.6 ± 5.2 mmol/L, respectively, in the EN group, and monitoring time and cost were 4.0 ± 1.2 days and 1.2 ± 1.0 thousand yuan, respectively. In the PN group, ALB, ALT, and GLU levels were 34.3 ± 3.4 U/L, 65.5 ± 6.1 U/L, and 15.1 ± 4.0 mmol/L, respectively, and monitoring time and cost were 6.2 ± 1.5 days and 1.8 ± 2.0 thousand yuan, respectively. We detected significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early EN support is superior to PN support in head-injured patients after craniocerebral surgery.
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Department of Nutrition, Zhengzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong-Pu
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D018529:Nutritional Support; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology