[Zinc deficiency caused by postgastrectomy fistula with high flow in a patient undergoing prolonged parenteral nutrition].

A case is presented of a 57-year-old male patient who underwent total gastrectomy due to gastric adenocarcinoma. During the postoperative period the patient required long-term parenteral nutrition due to a high-debit GI fistula (over 700 ml/day) and sepsis. Two months after parenteral nutrition was started, the patients presented irritability, mucocutaneous lesions and progressive bolding. Serum alkaline phosphatase and zinc levels were lower than normal, although a supplemental 0.03 mg/k/day of zinc was administered. Faced with this zinc deficiency picture, 10 mg zinc sulfate was administered parenterally on a daily basis. The deficiency picture improved markedly over a week's period, and serum zinc and alkaline phosphatase levels returned to normal. The importance of zinc balance control in patients under long-term parenteral nutrition and high fluid debit through GI fistulas is highlighted.