[Supply of amino acids only in the early postoperative phase. Preliminary report]

The effect on protein metabolism was studied in patients, who received 4 different types of peripheral-venous infusions in the early postoperative period. Group 1 (control): Electrolytes + vitamins; group 4: 1 g/kg b. w. amino-acids alone; group 6: 1 g/kg b. w. amino-acid plus 2 g/kg b. w. carbohydrates, and group 7: 1 g/kg b. w. amino-acids plus 5.5 g/kg b. w. carbohydrates. Compared to the control-group in all patients supplemented with amino-acids a significantly improved 24 h-nitrogen balance was observed. Regarding the cumulative nitrogen balance (4 days), it was noticed that the balance was more negative in patients given amino-acids alone than in patients, who received carbohydrates additionally. At no time serum protein levels (albumin, transferrin, prealbumin and retinol-binding protein) were found to be significantly improved by the addition of amino-acids alone. Therefore, our study indicates that there is no reason to leave the proven concept of peripheral-venous feeding with amino-acids plus carbohydrates to the favor of sole amino-acid infusions in the early postoperative period.