Current application and indications of dietary medium-chain triglycerides in hospitalized patients: an investigation and evaluation / 中华临床营养杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the current dietary application of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) in hospitalized patients,and clarify the appropriate indications and the role of MCT in clinical practice through evidence-based evaluation.Method A retrospective analysis was conducted on 46 cases of hospitalized patients who were administered dietary MCT between January,2012 and December,2013 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital.Results Dietary MCT were utilized in a small but increasing number of patients,who distributed in departments of gastroenterology,pediatrics,pneumology,general internal medicine,and general surgery.37.0％ of the patients had malnutrition,while 56.5％ had hypoalbuminemia.The leading indications of MCT therapy were gastrointestinal dysfunction (21 cases) and lymph circulation disorder (15 cases),while dyslipidemia (5 cases),exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (4 cases),and intractable epilepsy (1 case) served as other indications of MCT administration.Conclusions The indications of current dietary MCT application are approximately consistent with evidence from literature.However,given the scarcity of relevant researches and limited clinical application,further clinical researches with larger samples on dietary MCT are needed to provide more high-quality evidences for guidance of clinical practice.