Assessment of gastrointestinal dysfunction in selection of an effective method of nutritional support in patients with acute pancreatitis

Potential mortality in acute pancreatitis (AP) is 5%. Patients with AP represent II type of intestinal insufficiency, which occurs on the background of dyspeptic syndrome and increased intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). IAP is a differentiated indicator. With the increase of IAP more than 10 mm Hg, intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) arises. Increasing IAP to this level is considered as safe. Monitoring of IAP level allows to achieve better clinical results. Totally 47 patients with acute pancreatitis were examined. Depending on the function of the gastrointestinal tract and the selected type of starting nutritional support (NS), they were divided into 2 groups. The first group consisted of IAH patients of I degree and dyspeptic syndrome who underwent parenteral nutrition (PN) with 3-component compounds begun on the 2nd day of disease and after restoration of gastrointestinal tract function a late enteral feeding (LEF) was performed. In the second group, patients with AP were initially diagnosed with elevated IAP at a safe level and dyspeptic syndrome. They were prescribed early enteral nutrition (EEN) with specialized blends from the 2nd day of disease. In 2 days a significant reduction in pain syndrome with the persistence of dyspeptic syndrome and intestinal insufficiency (II) was recorded. In patients with intra-abdominal hypertension, total parenteral nutrition is the effective method of nutritional support, against which, after 5 days manifestations of dyspeptic syndrome and IAP indices decrease to a safe level. Therefore in-time detection of high level of intra-abdominal pressure in patients with acute pancreatitis can help to choose a more rational method of nutritional support.