[Effect of peripheral venous parenteral feeding on the postoperative protein status]

Following limited abdominal surgery peripheral-venous parenteral feeding was performed in 30 patients: 15 patients (group II) received 0.8 g amino acids and 4 g carbohydrates/kg BW; and 15 patients (group III) 1 g amino acids and 5 g carbohydrates/kg BW. As a control group (I) 10 patients were infused only with water, electrolytes and vitamins. A significant improvement of nitrogen balances was noticed in both groups of patients with parenteral nutrition, and about 90% of the infused amino acids was retained as nitrogen. However, the serum levels of various proteins--albumin, transferrin, pre-albumin and retinol-binding protein--presented no significant changes. There was no evidence that peripheral parenteral nutrition improved postoperative metabolism of plasma proteins. It is assumed that the administered amino acids are probably utilised in peripheral tissues (e.g. muscle, wound-repair) and are, therefore, not or only in low measures available for synthesis of plasma proteins in liver.