Correction of malnutrition following gastrectomy with cyclic enteral nutrition

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of cyclic en teral nutrition (CyEN) in gastrectomized patients and to compare the nutrit ional response to refeeding of 28 gastrectomized patients and 38 nongastrec tomized undernourished patients. Total (enteral + oral) energy intake (292% and 284% of resting energy expenditure in gastrectomized and nongastrectom ized patients, respectively) and the duration of CyEN (27 days) were simila r in both groups. Tolerance was good and not different in the two groups. I n the gastrectomized patients, a global nutritional deficiency score based on 10 biological and anthropometric parameters significantly improved (P < 0.0001) with six of the 10 nutritional parameters studied being improved by renutrition. Comparison of the two groups revealed similar efficacy of ref eeding; the global nutritional deficiency score improved by 42.7 +/- 17.3% in group 1 and 40.0 +/- 17.4% in group 2. After one year, the probability o f being alive without relapse was 77.8% in the gastrectomized and 72.2% in the nongastrectomized patients (P = 0.70). The efficacy of renutrition was similar regardless of the type of gastrectomy (eg, partial or total). CyEN is a safe, effective and durable treatment for undernutrition in gastrectom ized patients.