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Immunologically enhanced enteral nutrition: current status.
1Adult Intensive Care Unit, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital Trust, St. Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK. duncan.wyncoll@gstt.sthames.nhs.uk
Current Opinion in Critical Care
|May 25, 2001
Summary
Immunonutrition, using specialized enteral feedings, shows promise in reducing infections and hospital stays for critically ill patients and those undergoing surgery. Further clinical trials are needed to understand mechanisms and confirm benefits of new products.
Area of Science:
- Critical care medicine
- Gastroenterology
- Immunology
Background:
- The gut's role in critical illness, infection, and organ failure is increasingly recognized.
- Enteral feeding is crucial for critically ill patients.
- Modulating immune and inflammatory responses is a key therapeutic goal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of immunonutrition in clinical settings.
- To assess the impact of immune-enhancing enteral formulas on patient outcomes.
- To review existing evidence on immunonutrition.
Main Methods:
- Clinical studies involving various patient groups, including critically ill and surgical patients.
- Systematic reviews of published research on immunonutrition.
- Analysis of outcomes such as infection rates and length of hospital stay.
Main Results:
- Immunonutrition demonstrates encouraging results in reducing infection rates.
- Enteral feeding with immune-enhancing ingredients appears to shorten hospital stays.
- Benefits are noted in critically ill patients and those undergoing major surgery, especially with preoperative feeding.
Conclusions:
- Immunonutrition is a promising approach for managing critically ill and surgical patients.
- Existing systematic reviews support the positive outcomes of immunonutrition.
- Further controlled clinical trials are necessary to elucidate underlying mechanisms and validate new products.