Severe acute pancreatitis: nutritional management in the ICU

Patients with acute pancreatitis have elevated nutritional needs due to increased energy expenditure and catabolism. It is a clinical challenge to provide adequate nutrition to these patients while maintaining gut function, preventing pancreatic stimulation, and minimizing the risk of septic and metabolic complications associated with nutritional support. We present the case of a patient who had severe acute pancreatitis and was initially given total parenteral nutrition. After a period of initial improvement, he developed hyperglycemia, bacteremia, and sepsis. Parenteral nutrition was discontinued and infection was treated with antibiotics. Subsequent nutritional support consisted of enteral feeding with an elemental diet infused via a nasojejunal feeding tube. His condition improved gradually and he made a full recovery. This case illustrates the difficulties encountered while managing a case of severe acute pancreatitis and provides an evidence based approach to the nutritional management of severe acute pancreatitis in the intensive care unit setting.