Nasogastric enteral nutrition in severe acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND AND OBJETIVE: To establish the nasogastric enteral nutrition tolerance in patients with severe acute pancreatitis. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A total of 12 patients with severe acute pancreatitis (>= 3 Ranson criteria; C-reactive protein > 210 mg/dl) and adverse clinical course were included during 2006. When we verified the disease severity, nasogastric (10 F) enteral nutrition was initiated. We used a low fat semi-elemental feed (Dietgrif (R)) in a slow infusion rate. We evaluated the enteral nutrition tolerance and the adverse events. RESULTS: The patient (4 women and 8 men) mean age (standard deviation) was 70 (11) years and the mean hospital stay was 86 days (range: 14-405 days). The etiology of pancreatitis was: gallstones 8, alcohol abuse one and unknown 3. All patients had medical and/or pancreatic complications. Seven had significant pancreatic necrosis detected in the abdominal computed tomography. Three patients were admitted in the critical care unit and 2 died. The nasogastric enteral nutrition was well tolerated in 8 out of 12 patients (67%) regardless of their medical or pancreatic complications. Only in 3 patients we had initially to discontinue the feeding because of ileus and total parenteral nutrition was provisionally necessary. Enteral nutrition was impossible in one patient because of duodenal stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: Nasogastric enteral nutrition is well tolerated in patients with severe acute pancreatitis and it is an alternative to others nutritional routes.