[Impact of ultra-early enteral nutrition support on the prognosis of young and middle-aged postoperative patients with cerebral hemorrhage].

Objective: To investigate the effect of ultra-early enteral nutrition (UEEN) support on the prognosis of young and middle-aged postoperative patients with cerebral hemorrhage.

Methods: The clinical data of young and middle-aged patients (aged 18-59 years) admitted to Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital from January 2020 to June 2023 after surgery for intracerebral hemorrhage were retrospectively analyzed, and the general data, nutritional indexes, gastrointestinal complications, neurological function recovery and long-term prognosis of the patients were recorded. According to the time of initiation of enteral nutrition (EN) support, patients were divided into UEEN group (EN implementation within 12 hour after surgery) and early enteral nutrition (EEN) group (EN implementation within 24 to 48 hour after surgery). The differences of the above indexes between the two groups were analyzed and compared.

Results: A total of 64 young and middle-aged postoperative patients with cerebral hemorrhage were enrolled, including 32 cases in the UEEN group and 32 cases in the EEN group. There were no significant differences in gender, age, proportion of hypertension and diabetes, Glasgow coma score (GCS) on admission and surgical methods between the two groups. In terms of nutritional indexes, serum total protein, albumin and hemoglobin levels of patients in both groups on day 7 after admission were lower than those on day 1, and higher than those on day 3, and the above indexes levels in UEEN group were significantly higher than those in EEN group on day 7 [total protein (g/L): 63.05±5.79 vs. 59.02±6.63, albumin (g/L): 40.40±5.26 vs. 37.66±4.63, hemoglobin (g/L): 133.33±12.58 vs. 123.80±22.12, all P < 0.05]. In terms of gastrointestinal complications, the incidence of stress ulcer in the UEEN group within 14 days after admission was significantly lower than that in the EEN group [12.5% (4/32) vs. 31.3% (10/32), P < 0.05], but there was no statistically significant difference in feeding intolerance symptoms between the two groups. In terms of neurological recovery and long-term prognosis, GCS scores and Barthel index scores of 14 days after admission were higher than those of 1 day after admission, but there was no statistical significance between the two groups. Six months after surgery, Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) and Barthel index score of the UEEN group were significantly higher than those of the EEN group (GOS score: 3.81±1.06 vs. 3.18±1.07, Barthel index score: 60.78±7.24 vs. 54.52±5.13, both P < 0.05).

Conclusions: UEEN support can improve the nutritional level of young and middle-aged postoperative patients with cerebral hemorrhage, reduce the occurrence of postoperative gastrointestinal complications, promote the recovery of neurological function, and improve the long-term prognosis.