Acute severe pancreatitis and multiple organ failure: total parenteral nutrition is still required in a proportion of patients

Abstract

AIMS: Enteral nutrition (EN) is increasingly advocated as the favoured means of nutritional support in patients with multiple organ failure resulting from acute severe pancreatitis. In a proportion of patients, however, EN may not be feasible either because of gastrointestinal stasis and high nasogastric aspirates or because of superseding complications of pancreatitis such as fistulation. In these cases total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is indicated. METHODS: Patients with acute severe pancreatitis admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) were commenced on either nasogastric or, where established, jejunostomy EN. Rates of EN were controlled by protocol and volumes of nasogastric aspirate. TPN was commenced when volumes of EN were persistently inadequate or when this route was contraindicated (e.g. high-volume small bowel fistula). Physiological and outcome data were collected prospectively and included severity of illness scoring (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II), length of stay, duration of EN and TPN, and hospital outcome. RESULTS: Of 69 patients with acute severe pancreatitis, 31 were transferred from other ICUs. The median APACHE II score was 18 (range 4-40) and the overall hospital mortality rate was 39 per cent. Seventeen patients (25 per cent) were managed with EN alone, ten (14 per cent) with TPN alone and 19 (28 per cent) with a combination of both. Twenty-three (33 per cent) did not have any nutritional support during their ICU stay. The mortality rate was worse among patients who received TPN only than in those who had EN (60 versus 24 per cent). CONCLUSIONS: EN is likely to remain the route of choice for nutritional support in the ICU. However, in high-risk patients with acute severe pancreatitis EN may not be feasible and TPN is often required. This may reflect a greater severity of illness.