[Continuous enteral feeding of the gastrectomized patient with malnutrition]

The development of nutritional parameters, anthropometric and biologic, under polymeric continuous gastro-intestinal feeding, was followed during 3 to 7 weeks in a group of 10 gastrectomised patients with malnutrition and compared with a group of 10 patients with malnutrition secondary to intake deficiencies and receiving the same treatment. Body weight, mid-arm muscle circumference, triceps skinfold and serum transferrin increased significantly from the beginning to the end of the gastro-intestinal feeding in both groups, and in a comparable fashion. Continuous gastro-intestinal feeding is therefore an effective treatment of malnutrition in the gastrectomised patient. The response obtained, as far as nutrition is concerned, may be compared to that of the patient with malnutrition secondary to intake deficiencies.