Success of immediate intragastric feeding of patients with burns

We evaluated our attempts to aggressively feed 45 adult patients with burns with the use of intragastric tube feedings. Patients were divided into three burn sizes (20% to 30% total body surface area, 31% to 44% total body surface area, and > 44% total body surface area). No attempts were made to place feeding tubes across the pylorus. Patients were fed as early as possible after admission. Mean caloric intake met calculated nutritional goals beginning on the second day after burn injury, and in the severely burned group, mean caloric intake was 2500+ kcal by the second day. Initiation of intragastric feedings within hours of burn injury results in the provision of high daily levels of nutrition and may obviate the necessity of placing a transpyloric feeding tube in the majority of patients with burns.