• Jianyi Yin, Jian Wang, Shaoyi Zhang, Danhua Yao, Qi Mao, Wencheng Kong, Lele Ren, Yousheng Li, and Jieshou Li.
• Department of Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, 305 East Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210002, China.
• Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2015 Feb 1;41(1):99-105.

PurposeEarly enteral feeding within 24-48 h of intensive care unit admission is recommended for critically ill patients. This study aimed to determine if early enteral feeding could be safely implemented with purported benefits in patients with abdominal trauma.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was performed that included 88 adult patients with abdominal trauma. Patients receiving enteral feeding within 72 h of surgical intensive care unit (SICU) admission (early-initiation group, n = 28) were compared to those receiving enteral feeding later (delayed-initiation group, n = 60).ResultsThe two groups were comparable in demographic characteristics and injury severity. There were no differences in feeding intolerance (53.6 vs. 43.3%, p = 0.37) and mortality at 28 days (0 vs. 5%, p = 0.55) between the early-initiation group and the delayed-initiation group. However, patients in the early-initiation group had fewer infectious complications (17.9 vs. 40 %, p = 0.04) and shorter length of stay in SICU and hospital (p < 0.01) than patients in the delayed-initiation group.ConclusionsEarly enteral feeding administered within 72 h of SICU admission was associated with improved clinical outcomes without risk of increasing feeding intolerance in patients with abdominal trauma. Our results support the implementation of early enteral feeding in abdominal trauma management.

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