Nutritional support for surgical patients has improved in recent years due to the possibility of modulating hypercatabolism and to stimulation of anabolim for wound healing and immune response. 60 patients (31 males), aged as an average 9y (range 4-14y) were studied: clinical and metabolic effects of early parenteral nutrition (PN) after major surgery in patients with diffuse peritonitis, secondary to appendecitis was evaluated. They were randomly assigned to a study group (SG, n=30), receiving PN for 5 days, starting 24-48h after surgery, or to a control group (CG, n=30), receiving standard treatment. On postoperative days 1, 4 and 6 we determined: weight, C-reactive protein(CRP), glycemia, nitrogen balance (NB), and IGF-1. Analysis of glycemia, NB and IGF-I showed significant differences between groups.Table

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We conclude that early parenteral nutrition provided to pediatric patients after major surgery has a positive effect in the course of nitrogen balance and IGF-I.