HOSPITAL-MADE DIET VERSUS COMMERCIAL SUPPLEMENT IN POSTBURN NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT

Nutritional support is an important aspect of the management of burn p atients. Nutrition supplementation can be achieved either by 'hospital -made' or 'commercial' diets. Commercial diets are efficacious but exp ensive and sometimes not easily available. This study was undertaken t o compare the efficacy and tolerance of a hospital-made diet with a co mmercial diet. Twenty patients with burns ranging from 20-50 per cent TBSA were studied to compare the efficacy and tolerance of the 'hospit al-made' diet with 'commercial' preparations. Patients were divided in to two groups of 10 each and randomised with each group to receive eit her a hospital-made diet (five patients) or a commercial diet (five pa tients). Efficacy of diet was assessed by evaluation of nutritional st atus, graft take, number of surgical procedures and duration of hospit al stay. Tolerance was assessed by recording side effects such as naus ea, vomiting, abdominal distention and diarrhoea. Both diets were well tolerated by all patients. There was no significant difference in nut ritional status, number of surgical procedures, percentage of graft ta ke and duration of hospital stay on either diet, suggesting that hospi tal-made diets are similar in efficacy and tolerance but cheaper and m ore easily available. They are a good alternative to 'commercial' diet s, especially in poor patients. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd for ISBI .