When Is Parenteral Nutrition Appropriate?

Appropriate use of parenteral nutrition through the perioperative period.

Recent advances in nutrition therapy of the patient undergoing elective surgery have focused on greater utilization of the gut, feeding closer to the time of surgery, avoiding extensive bowel preparations or use of nasogastric tubes and drains, and measures to promote and maintain intestinal motility. Failure to have protocols in place for delivery of enteral nutrition (EN) through the perioper...

when appropriate statistical analysis is dismissed

Parenteral nutrition.

Nutritional insufficiency, leading to early growth deficits has long-lasting effects, including short stature and poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. Early enteral feeding is commonly limited by immaturity of gastrointestinal motor function in preterm neonates. To ensure that a stressed premature infant receives an adequate but not excessive amount of glucose, the amount of carbohydrate delivered...

When Appropriate Statistical Analysis is Dismissed

We read with interest the paper entitled “Prevalence of Hepatitis D Virus Infection among Hepatitis B Virus Infected Patients in Qom Province, Center of Iran” by Ghadir et al. (1) which was performed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis D in the general population of Qom province and the potential risk factors for acquiring HDV. They found 48 subjects (1.3%) suffered from hepatitis B and on...

Mitral valve surgery: when is it appropriate?

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is a frequent complication of end-stage cardiomyopathy. Historically, these patients were managed either medically or with mitral valve replacement, both associated with poor outcomes. We studied 150 patients with cardiomyopathy and severe MR who were managed with mitral reconstruction. One hundred fifty patients with 4+ MR, left ventricular ejection fractions of 8%-24...