Enteral nutrition in sepsis patients.

Sepsis, with its associated complications, is a leading cause of death in intensive care units. It is a major public health problem world-wide. The altered metabolism, severe condition and specific organ failure in sepsis patients get entangled in a vicious circle. Their treatment should invariably include nutritional support. The present survey summarizes the sepsis-induced metabolic changes so that they can be adequately compensated by nutritional support using specialized enteral formulas. We argue the necessity of introducing new efficient formulas as part of the so called immunonutrition. The basic requirements these formulas should meet are: 1. to provide sufficient amount of protein and energy substrate that can preserve the muscle function; 2. to be a source of substances that stimulate and protect enterocytes with restriction of bacterial translocation; 3. to help keep the liver function normal; 4. by including various substances with immunomodulating features to prevent and compensate the disturbances in the immune response.

Surgical treatment of bronchobiliary fistulas due to complicated echinococcosis of the liver: case report and literature review.

Echinococcosis still remains a widespread disease associated with the development of a number of complications. The present study presents three patients, successfully treated surgically of bronchobiliary fistulas--in two of the patients the fistulas were due to complicated echinococcosis of the liver, and in the third patient the fistula was a result of a hepatic abscess which developed in a residual cavity after echinococcectomy. The patients were discharged from hospital in good health. The authors consider thoracophrenotomy to be the method of choice in the surgical treatment of patients with bronchobiliary fistulas; it allows performance of echinococcectomy and elimination of the bronchobiliary fistula. The results are discussed in relation to relevant data in literature.