Effect Of Early Or Delayed Enteral Nutrition On Endocrine Function In Patients With Acute Severe Cerebral Infarction

Objective：In the present study, the effect of standard, early (within24-48hours)enteral feeding (EEF), compared with delayed enteral feeding (DEF)(within48hours-5days), on the endocrine function of patients with acute severe cerebralinfarction was investigated.Methods：1. This comparative, open-labeled, randomized study included severecerebral infarction patients admitted to the neurological intensive care unit (ICU).severity was assessed by the Glasgow Coma Scale and predicted mortality by theAcute Physiology and Chronic Health EvaluationII.2. Thirty-five patients receivedDEF and34patients received EEF. The effect of the onset of nutrition on pituitary,thyroidal, gonadal, and adrenal function was investigated on days6and12afteradmission to the hospital.3. Comparative analysis of different each hormonelevels.4.To investigate whether EEF could affect hormonal changes in acute severecerebral infarction patients, we compared the hormonal status of acute severe cerebralinfarction patients admitted to a regional neurological intensive care unit (NICU) whowere supported by either delayed enteral feed-ing (DEF; standard enteral feeding) orEEF.Results：Levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronine, freethyroxine, and estosterone (in males) of DEF patients declined in comparison tolevels of the day of admission to the NICU. The decrease of hormonal values was lesspronounced in the EEF group(P<0.05). Cortisol concentrations rose in the DEF group;a lesser hormo-nal change was found in the EEF group(P<0.05).Conclusion：EEF may exert beneficial effects on the hormonal profile ofcerebral infarction patients, possibly contributing to a better clinical outcome in thispatient group with reduce inflammation metabolic...