Early enteral support in 24 patients undergoing cardiac transplantation

AIM To study the role of early enteral support in patients undergoing cardiac transplantation. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 24 orthotopic cardiac transplantation in our hospital and compared the nutritional indexes 3 days before operation, on the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th days after operation in these cases. Low-sodium diet was given before operations, and some were supplied with parenteral nutrition. On day 1-5 after surgery, patients were submitted to liquid diet and were supplied with parenteral nutrition. On day 6-10 after operation, patients were provided total enteral nutrition through semiliquid diet and on day 12-18 after operation, patients were gradually back to normal diet. RESULTS All cases recovered well. The serum albumin on the 7th day after operations was significantly lower than that on the 3rd day before operations（P<0.05）and in 3 weeks’ time restored to the same lever as their nutritional status before operations. CONCLUSION Proper early enteral nutrition support before operations strengthens patients’ tolerance to operations, and proper nutrition support ways and nutrients allowance post operation expedite patients’ recovery.