Influence of nutritional status on the resumption of adequate food intake in patients recovering from colorectal cancer operations.

The influence of nutritional status on the resumption of adequate food intake in 101 patients recovering from colorectal cancer operation was examined. Two thirds of these patients were well-nourished; the others were malnourished. Malnutrition criteria were serum albumin of less than 3.5 gm per dl plus any two of the following four factors: recent weight loss greater than 10 per cent or weight for height, mid-arm circumference, and triceps skinfold thickness lower than the tenth percentile. Over half of the well-nourished patients were eating 60 per cent or greater of their caloric requirements by the tenth postoperative day, whereas only one quarter of the malnourished patients had attained this intake. the morbidity and mortality in 33 malnourished patients was 52 and 12 per cent, respectively, compared with 31 and 6 per cent (p less than 0.01) in 68 nourished patients. The duration of postoperative functional starvation in malnourished patients without complications increased to an average of 22 days following a complication and was further prolonged after a complication. Age or operative procedure (curative or palliative) did not influence complication rate. Our data suggest that postoperative nutritional support as either TPN or enteral feeding using an elemental diet is indicated in malnourished patients and in well-nourished patients immediately following a complication requiring therapeutic intervention.