Growth hormone enables effective nutrition by peripheral vein in postoperative patients: a pilot study.

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the metabolic effects of growth hormone (GH) (Humatrope, Eli Lilly & Co., Indianapolis, IN) administration in postoperative (PO) patients receiving peripheral vein nutrition. Seven, well-nourished, nondiabetic patients undergoing elective surgical procedures were given either no drug (n = 3), GH 30 micrograms/kg/day (n = 2), or GH 60 micrograms/kg/day (n = 2) sub-Q daily until eating, up to 7 days PO. All the patients received 5% dextrose with electrolytes in the first 24 hours PO and then received calories at 80 +/- 5% of the measured resting energy expenditure (REE) and amino acid at 1 g/kg/day with electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. There were no significant outcome differences between the 30 and 60 micrograms/kg/day groups and, therefore, these groups were analyzed together (n = 4). By day 6 of the study, the GH group had a significant reduction in the respiratory quotient (RQ) measured by indirect calorimetry; an increase in nitrogen retention; an increase in plasma transferrin concentrations; and an increase in plasma insulinlike growth factor (IGF1) concentration. There was no increase in blood glucose concentrations, or decrease in urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion; and no adverse effects occurred. We concluded that GH in PO patients on hypocaloric nutrition promoted protein synthesis, fat oxidation, and nitrogen retention. Effective parenteral nutritional support in postoperative adult patients can be achieved without the use of central vein access.

Do parenteral nutrition solutions with high concentrations of branched-chain amino acids offer significant benefits to stressed patients?

The critically ill, stressed patient has been characterized as having altered cellular metabolism. Altered protein metabolism is manifested as negative nitrogen balance, reduced whole-body protein synthesis, and increased proteolysis. An increased oxidation of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) leucine, isoleucine, and valine has also been observed. Exogenous administration of BCAA as part of a total parenteral nutrition (TPN) regimen has been proposed to compensate for the altered protein metabolism in the stressed patient by sparing endogenous sources of BCAA, thereby reducing skeletal muscle catabolism and increasing protein synthesis. Numerous clinical studies have been performed investigating this theory. The results are controversial. Differences in study outcomes appear to be related to study design, especially patient selection. Our review of those studies which were randomized, prospective, and controlled indicates that an improvement in nitrogen retention and visceral protein status can be achieved in stress-stratified patients who receive a TPN regimen containing a BCAA-enriched formula. The significance of these outcomes on morbidity, length of hospital stay, and mortality has not been evaluated.

Enteral nutrition does not prevent multiple organ failure syndrome (MOFS) after sepsis.

Gut malnutrition in patients with persistent hypermetabolism is hypothesized to be an important factor in postseptic multiple organ failure syndrome (MOFS). The hypothesis was made that enteral nutrition (EN) started at the onset of hypermetabolism could reduce the incidence of MOFS. Sixty-six patients with persistent hypermetabolism 4 to 6 days after onset of sepsis were prospectively randomized to receive either parenteral nutrition (PN) or enteral nutrition (EN) at 1.5 gm protein/kg/day and 30 nonprotein calories/kg/day; the EN and TPN were of the same composition. There was no reduction in either the incidence of MOFS or mortality attributable to the route of nutrition administration. The PN group tended to have better visceral protein support; the EN group had more gut complications. When analyzed, the type of formula given did have an effect on the nutritional outcome but not on the mortality rate. A formula with a nonprotein-calorie-to-nitrogen ratio of 100:1 was associated with more nitrogen retention, higher levels of visceral proteins, and better gut tolerance. The route of nutrition administration does not seem to affect the incidence of postseptic MOFS or mortality when hypermetabolism is already present and when commercially available nutritional formulas are used. The relationships among the route of nutrition, the type of enteral formula, and the disease process of hypermetabolism and MOFS appear to be complex and require much more investigation before the role of the gut and enteral nutrition can be defined.

Parenteral nutrition in the management of gastrointestinal Kaposi's sarcoma in a patient with AIDS.

A patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who required aggressive nutritional intervention via home parenteral nutrition therapy is described, and nutritional status, etiology and therapeutic management of AIDS-associated malnutrition, role of nutrition support, and factors for consideration in using parenteral nutrition in AIDS patients are discussed. Parenteral nutrition therapy was initiated in a 30-year-old AIDS patient with Kaposi's sarcoma lesions of the gastrointestinal tract because of rapid weight loss, low serum protein levels, and malnutrition. He had previously undergone a small-bowel resection and a jejunojejunostomy, and radiation and antineoplastic-drug therapy was planned. During parenteral nutrition therapy, the patient demonstrated increased physical strength and was able to care for himself during most of the time spent at home or in a long-term-care facility. Aggressive measures, including parenteral nutrition therapy, were discontinued 11 days before the patient's death. Complications of therapy included one episode of sepsis and a tear in the external catheter tubing. Malabsorption and diarrhea mainly caused by gastrointestinal disease, reduced food intake because of oral and esophageal infections, adverse effects from medication, and depression are factors that can contribute to AIDS-associated malnutrition. Also, hypermetabolism resulting from infections and fevers may contribute to malnutrition in AIDS. The extent to which this malnutrition affects the underlying immune dysfunction occurring in the syndrome and the response to other more direct drug therapies in AIDS is not known. Available methods for nutritional intervention are based on clinical experience and anecdotal reports. Because of gastrointestinal disease, an oral diet, supplements, and enteral tube feedings may not meet nutritional goals for an AIDS patient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Nutrition support of the adult liver transplant candidate.

Liver transplantation now provides a viable alternative to patients with end-stage hepatic failure. Because of the damaging effects of liver failure on other organ systems, transplant candidates frequently suffer from moderate to severe malnutrition. Chronic hepatic failure can result in deranged metabolism of not only macronutrients and micronutrients but also various hormones. Patients are frequently in a catabolic state. Wasting of the skeletal muscle mass occurs and synthesis of secretory proteins and clotting factors decreases. Hepatic encephalopathy and fluid/electrolyte imbalances often complicate the provision of appropriate nutrition support. Nutrition support may be provided by the oral route, tube feeding, parenteral nutrition, or a combination of those routes. A multidisciplinary approach to determine the appropriate nutrition support regimen is most optimal. To assess the efficacy of the support, monitoring of the nutritional/metabolic status is necessary on an ongoing basis. An aggressive nutrition support regimen can induce positive nitrogen balance, promote hepatic protein synthesis, and expand lean body mass, controlling the symptoms of malnutrition in end-stage liver disease.

Enteral feeding in sepsis: a prospective, randomized, double-blind trial.

In an attempt to meet better the needs of patients with hypermetabolic stress, amino acid formulas have been modified (MAA). As part of a total parenteral nutrition regimen, MAA have been associated with improvement in parameters of nutrition and survival. The safety and efficacy of these formulas in balanced enteral nutrition was assessed in malnourished patients with moderate to high levels of stress undergoing surgery. The nutritional targets were 5 gm/kg/day glucose, 0.8 gm/kg/day fat, and 0.27 gm/kg/day amino acid nitrogen. In an initial nine studies, the MAA nutrition was safe even in the presence of ileus. A double-blind, randomized, prospective trial was then undertaken in 18 patients in an isocaloric, isonitrogenous design with the nitrogen source as MAA (44% branched-chain amino acids) or standard amino acids (28% branched-chain amino acids). The patients receiving MAA had enhanced nitrogen retention, visceral protein mass, and indices of survival.

Nutritional support of patients with severe hepatic failure.

The pathophysiology, etiology, and metabolic alterations of severe hepatic failure and nutritional support of patients with this condition are reviewed. Hepatic failure encompasses a broad range of acute and chronic processes; complications may be fatal or quite minimal. Cirrhosis refers to all types of chronic diffuse liver disease. While hepatocytes regenerate in cirrhotic patients, eventually the parenchymal and vascular architecture of the liver is disrupted, leading to a syndrome of hepatic insufficiency. Normal metabolic processes deteriorate, and serum amino acid imbalances and fat intolerance may develop. Aromatic amino acids, which are normally catabolized by the liver, accumulate in the serum, and branched-chain amino acid deficiencies develop as these amino acids are broken down for energy by peripheral muscle. Hepatic encephalopathy often develops in these patients. Successful nutritional support of the patient with severe hepatic failure depends on correction of the specific metabolic abnormalities occurring. Parenteral nutrition with Hepatamine (American McGaw), a product with more branched-chain amino acids and less aromatic amino acids than other amino acid solutions, is useful in patients with altered serum amino acid profiles who develop hepatic encephalopathy. Patients in whom factors other than altered amino acids are primary causes of encephalopathy may not respond to Hepatamine. Enteral nutritional products with amino acid compositions similar to Hepatamine [Hepatic-Aid II (McGaw), Travasorb-Hepatic (Travenol Laboratories)] may be used in patients with encephalopathy, but they must be supplemented to provide complete nutrition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Branched chain metabolic support. A prospective, randomized, double-blind trial in surgical stress.

A prospective, randomized, double-blind trial of the nutritional effects of branched chain modified amino acid solutions was undertaken in 23 surgical patients within 24 hours of the onset of major general surgery, polytrauma, or sepsis. The effects were evaluated in the absence of abnormalities of oxygen transport and perfusion in an isocaloric/isonitrogenous setting where the major difference between the groups was the amount of branched chain amino acids received. Both groups received balanced parenteral nutrition with 1.5 gm/kg/day of amino acids, 30 calories/kg/day of glucose, and 7 calories/kg/day of fat. At the end of the 7-day study interval, the group receiving the branched chain enriched therapy at 0.7 gm/kg/day of branched chain amino acids had improved nitrogen retention; an elevation of their absolute lymphocyte count from 800 to 1800/mm3, a reversal of anergy to recall skin test antigens in 60% of the patients, and improved plasma transferrin levels (p less than 0.03). Nutritional support using the modified amino acid metabolic support solutions has beneficial effects during the stress interval that do not seem as achievable with current commercially available nutritional support regimens.

Total parenteral nutrition in bone marrow transplantation: a clinical evaluation.

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is associated with severe metabolic stress secondary to anorexia, mucositis, enteritis, and infection. We compared nutritional parameters and clinical outcomes of 22 patients who received prophylactic total parenteral nutrition (TPN) to those of 22 controls, matched for age and diagnosis, who received nutritional support ad libitum. Over the 5-week study period, the TPN group averaged caloric intakes greater than 1.5 X basal energy expediture (BEE) per day and gained 2.5% of body weight; the control group averaged less than 0.9 X BEE and lost 3.7% of body weight. Visceral protein status as reflected by serum albumin was not different. Engraftment of donor marrow cells was 3 days earlier (p less than 0.01) in the TPN group than in the controls, despite there being no significant difference in the number of marrow cells each group received. There was no difference in the two groups' clinical outcomes; mortality, duration of hospital stay, and incidences of sepsis, graft-versus-host disease, and return of malignancy were equivalent. Thus, patients who received prophylactic TPN engrafted sooner than patients who did not; however, overall clinical outcome was unaffected by TPN. Controlled studies of prophylactic TPN are indicated for the BMT patient population.

Does modified amino acid total parenteral nutrition alter immune-response in high level surgical stress.

A randomized prospective double-blinded study was conducted in patients in moderate to high level surgical stress to ascertain the effect of high dose branched-chain (BcAA) hyperalimentation on skin test reactivity and lymphocyte count. Isocaloric, isonitrogenous balanced total parenteral nutrition solutions were administered to two treatment groups. The study group received the high dose (45% BcAA) solution while the control group received a standard amino acid solution (24.2% BcAA). All patients received 1 to 1.5 g/kg/day of amino acids and 30 nonprotein cal/kg/day, with 30% of them as fat. Immune function was assessed by absolute lymphocyte count and delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity on days 0 and 7 of therapy. Absolute lymphocyte count showed a marked improvement in patients receiving high dose aBcAA (p less than 0.03). All patients were anergic at baseline; a much greater percentage of skin test reactivity was observed in the BcAA group on day 7 (p less than 0.03). They were also in positive nitrogen balance. The data suggest that improved nitrogen retention and immune-competence is possible with branched-chain-enriched hyperalimentation in high level surgical stress.

Nitrogen retention in critically ill patients is proportional to the branched chain amino acid load.

The nitrogen retention effect of branched chain enriched parenteral nutrition (BcAA) during surgical stress and polytrauma was evaluated in a prospective, randomized, double blind study in 32 patients. The doses of BcAA were 0.16, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 g/kg . day with a total amino acid load of 1 or 1.5 g/kg . day. It was provided in a setting of 30 glucose cal/kg . day with 7 cal/kg . day of iv fat also given to 16 patients. After the 7-day study was completed, analysis of the 4 treatment groups of 8 patients each demonstrated that there was an increased nitrogen retention effect of BcAA, that the effect was proportionate to BcAA load, that the effect started at 0.5 g of BcAA/kg . day in a setting of balanced nutritional support, and that the effect was consistent with a BcAA influence on protein synthesis. There were no complications or side-effects from high dose BcAA. Metabolic support of the stress response in ICU patients has become a clinical reality.

Reversal of skin test anergy during maintenance hemodialysis by protein and calorie supplementation.

The effect of protein and calorie supplementation on the immune function of two maintenance hemodialysis patients was assessed. Before nutritional supplementation, both patients were anergic to four skin test antigens and had low relative percentages and absolute number of T lymphocytes. After 3 months of nutritional supplements both patients responded to in vivo skin testing to at least two antigens and in both patients, the relative percentage and absolute number of T lymphocytes increased. These two cases illustrate that the defect in cell-mediated immunity and impaired delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity which is known to occur in hemodialysis patients may be a reversible manifestation of protein-calorie malnutrition.