[Importance of postoperative parenteral feeding--measured by low and high-molecular plasma proteins]

By continuous parenteral administration of carbohydrates, combined with essential amino acids and L-histidine, a significant improvement in urea nitrogen and plasma protein metabolism could be obtained in 24 patients during the first ten days after abdominal surgery. A comparable control group of 15 patients who received only water, electrolytes and vitamins in the postoperative phase showed significantly worse results. The observation that under the influence of parental nutrition the beginning azotemia and the deficit of immunoglobulins especially of the complement components improved more quickly after the stress of surgery seems to be an important clinical aspect. At the same time it became evident that adequate parenteral nutrition can have a significant effect on the postoperative behaviour of some plasma proteins (retinol-binding protein, albumin,transferrin, prealbumin).