[Severe burn injury: glucose absorption and early enteral nutrition]

We investigated the changes of glucose absorption and the effect of early enteral nutrition after severe burn injury. A new animal model was developed with a specially bred miniswine (Gui Zhou species) to which multiple catheterizations were applied for sampling different blood from the portal, inferior mesenteric as well as jugular (central) veins. The animals were sustained with 30% III burns of TBSA 7 days after the catheterizations and divided randomly into early feeding (EF) group, given a complete diet beginning from 2 hours postburn, and delayed feeding (DF) group, given the same diet on 4 days postburn. After burn injury, glucose absorption was significantly decreased, but the absorption was much lower in group DF than that in group EF. However, the intestinal ability of absorbing nutrients was not attenuated greatly, and the reduction of portal blood flow was attributed to the decrease of absorption of nutrients. Early enteral feeding can increase portal blood flow obviously.