BENEFITS OF EARLY ENTERAL NUTRITION IN PATIENTS WITH INJURY OF THE SMALL BOWEL IN PENETRATING ABDOMINAL TRAUMA

Abstract

Objective: In penetrating abdominal trauma are frequently observed small bowel injuries. Although immediate surgical treatment of these patients is important,  postoperative management, especially the nutrition, it is even more. Determine the advantages of early enteral nutrition in these patients, will allow better management
of them, at Ciudad Hospitalaria Dr. Enrique Tejera, Valencia, Estado Carabobo. Methods: The study is a descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective, reviewing 1500 medical records from January 2009 to September 2010, were selected 267 patients with small bowel injury penetrating abdominal trauma, and only 44 met the criteria
previously established inclusion. Results: The results determined that there is predominance of male age group with a higher incidence for those aged between 21-25 years, with a rate of 38.64% and the dominant mechanism of injury was hammered by the projectile gun with 38.63%. The hospitalization time for patients was 11.91 ± 12.38 days and the median time to onset of the diet is about 3.97 + 2.02 days, showing that patients who received nutritional support with glutamine only 28.58 % had weight loss is 14.29% and 28.58% had malnutrition complications. Conclusion: Those patients who started early diet significantly decreased length of hospitalization and the occurrence of malnutrition and complications.