Role of early enteral feeding in mild and moderate acute pancreatitis

Background: Timing of enteral feeding in acute pancreatitis was always a matter of controversy. Increasing evidence suggests that early enteral feeding reduces systemic and local complications of pancreatitis and thereby hospital stay. Hence the study has been undertaken to determine the feasibility, advantages and disadvantages of early enteral feeding in mild and moderate acute pancreatitis. Methods: Patients admitted with symptoms and signs suggestive of mild and moderate acute pancreatitis who were started on early enteral feeding (within 48 hours of admission) were included in study. Blood investigation results are used to classify patients accordingly to mild and moderate acute pancreatitis based on Ransons’s score. Patients were followed up and categorized based on development of complications, length of hospital stay.Results: Majority of the patients who were started on early enteral feeding showed significant decrease in complications and hospital stay. Study also suggested that age is a significant risk in development of complications. Gender is not significant in the development of complications.Conclusions: There is significant decrease in rate of systemic complication, local infective and non-infective complications, length of hospital stay among acute pancreatitis patients who were started on early enteral feeding (within 48 hours).

Early Enteral Feeding in Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review of the Nutritional, Metabolic, and Developmental Benefits

Enteral feeding is the preferred method of nutrient provision for preterm infants. Though parenteral nutrition remains an alternative to provide critical nutrition after preterm delivery, the literature suggests that enteral feeding still confers significant nutritional and non-nutritional benefits. Therefore, the purpose of this narrative review is to summarize health and clinical benefits of early enteral feeding within the first month of life in preterm infants. Likewise, this review also proposes methods to improve enteral delivery in clinical care, including a proposal for decision-making of initiation and advancement of enteral feeding. An extensive literature review assessed enteral studies in preterm infants with subsequent outcomes. The findings support the early initiation and advancement of enteral feeding impact preterm infant health by enhancing micronutrient delivery, promoting intestinal development and maturation, stimulating microbiome development, reducing inflammation, and enhancing brain growth and neurodevelopment. Clinicians must consider these short- and long-term implications when caring for preterm infants.