Supplementation with key nutrients reduced postoperative infections and length of hospital stay after gastrointestinal surgery
QUESTION: In well nourished patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is preoperative supplementation (PSUP) or PSUP plus postoperative enteral nutrition (POEN) with key nutrients more effective than conventional treatment (COTR) for reducing postoperative infections and length of hospital stay?
Design
Randomised (allocation concealed), unblinded, controlled trial with 30 days of follow up after hospital discharge.
Setting
Department of surgery, San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
Patients
305 patients (mean age 64 y, 54% men) who had histologically documented cancer of the GI tract and planned major elective surgery. Exclusion criteria included weight loss ≥10% (with respect to usual body weight) in the past 6 months, age <18 years, and hepatic dysfunction (Child-Pugh class >B). Follow up was 100%.
Intervention
Patients were allocated to PSUP (n=102), POEN (n=101), or COTR (n=102). Before surgery, patients in the PSUP …
