Objective: To observe the effect of early enteral nutrition (EEN) on nutritional indicators and clinical outcomes in patients with severe heart failure undergoing mechanical ventilation.
Methods: Thirty-four patients with severe heart failure (grade III-IV of cardiac function) and pulmonary infections undergoing mechanical ventilation admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) of Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from May 2017 to April 2018 were enrolled. They were randomly divided into EEN group and delayed enteral nutrition (DEN) group. Both groups were given routine treatment, including mechanical ventilation, improvement of cardiac function, anti-infection, protection of vital organ function, regulation of blood sugar and adjustment of electrolyte and acid-base balance. The patients in EEN group received enteral nutrition (EN) within 48 hours after ICU admission, and in DEN group, EN was started after the patients had spent the early stage of stress and had stable vital signs (48 hours after ICU admission). The changes in serum B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), C-reactive protein (CRP), nutritional indicators and liver function indicators at ICU admission and 7 days after treatment were compared between the two groups. The time needed for patients to reach EN target, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of ICU stay, and the 28-day mortality were recorded, and complications were observed.
Results: There was no significant difference in serum BNP, CRP, nutritional indicators or liver function indicators at ICU admission between the two groups. After treatment for 7 days, BNP and CRP in both groups were decreased significantly as compared with those at ICU admission [BNP (ng/L): 592.1±370.9 vs. 2 517.7±1 163.4 in EEN group, 621.9±418.8 vs. 2 251.5±1 006.8 in DEN group; CRP (mg/L): 46.0±19.6 vs. 59.8±22.5 in EEN group, 40.5±18.8 vs. 61.2±24.6 in DEN group, all P < 0.05], pre-albumin (PA) and transferrin (TF) were significantly increased [PA (g/L): 0.18±0.05 vs. 0.15±0.06 in EEN group, 0.17±0.04 vs. 0.12±0.06 in DEN group; TF (g/L): 1.6±0.4 vs. 1.5±0.4 in EEN group, 1.7±0.5 vs. 1.4±0.5 in DEN group, all P < 0.05]. However, there was no significant difference in the above indicators after treatment between the two groups (all P > 0.05). There was no significant change in liver function after treatment in both groups. The EN treatment was successfully completed in both groups. Some patients developed abdominal distension and diarrhea in varying degrees, which were alleviated by slowing down the infusion rate, supplemented by gastrointestinal motility drugs and intestinal flora adjustment drugs. The time needed to reach EN target in EEN group was significantly earlier than that in DEN group (hours: 42.4±10.2 vs. 53.8±17.1, P < 0.05), the duration of mechanical ventilation (days: 14.2±8.7 vs. 13.4±7.9), the length of ICU stay (days: 17.8±6.7 vs. 18.3±5.6) and 28-day mortality [5.9% (1/17) vs. 11.8% (2/17)] showed no significant difference as compared with those in DEN group (all P > 0.05), and it did not increase the incidence of aspiration pneumonia [23.5% (4/17) vs. 17.7% (3/17), P > 0.05].
Conclusions: EEN could help to achieve nutritional goals as soon as possible, improve the nutritional status of the body, and provide conditions and basis for further treatment of severe heart failure patients.