[Clinical significance of bacterial contamination of enteral nutrition solutions]

Tube feeding with elemental and peptide diets is used as therapy for the acute phase of Crohn's disease. It should improve the nutritional status of the patients and reduce bacterial counts in the intestine. In this study we investigated the frequency of bacterial contamination of solutions of chemically defined diets and the clinical effects of the application of contaminated diets (stool frequency, body temperature, leucocyte counts). 15 patients with acute phase of Crohn's disease were treated with chemically defined diets over a total period of 323 days via a nasoduodenal tube. 7 patients received BSD, 8 patients Peptisorb. In all 36 BSD solutions examined in concentration procedures we found microbes, most frequently Streptococcus and Bacillus spp. Without concentration procedures it was possible to cultivate bacteria in 12% out of BSD solutions and in 81% out of Peptisorb solutions; in BSD mostly Streptococcus and in Peptisorb solution E. coli, Bacillus spp. and aerobic spore forming bacilli. Stool frequency, body temperature and leucocyte counts did not show significant differences after application of contaminated solutions in comparison to the others. Deterioration of the disease has not been observed in any case.