Plain language summary
Sepsis is a condition brought about by infection and results in organ dysfunction and gut microbiota imbalance. Nutrition plays a large part in recovery from sepsis, however it is unclear as to the optimal diet for gut microbial balance in individuals with sepsis. This randomised control trial of 30 individuals with sepsis aimed to determine the optimal delivery of nutrition for gut microbial health either through a gastric tube (TEN), through the jugular vein (TPN), or a mixture of the two modes (SPN). The results showed differences in gut microbiota composition between the different modes of nutrition. Enterococcus increased in TEN, Campylobacter decreased in TPN, and Dialister decreased in SPN groups. Fermentation products produced by gut microbiota also changed depending on the mode of nutrition, with the TEN group showing improvements amongst the most fermentation products. Individuals in the TEN group also showed improved immune system function alongside those in the SPN group. It was concluded that based upon improvements to the immune system and gut microbiota, TEN is the most suitable mode for nutrition in individuals with sepsis. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to understand that nutrition methods for individuals with sepsis aren’t equally effective and recovery may be faster if individuals receive nutrition through a gastric tube.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sepsis exacerbates intestinal microecological disorders leading to poor prognosis. Proper modalities of nutritional support can improve nutrition, immunity, and intestinal microecology. AIM: To identify the optimal modality of early nutritional support for patients with sepsis from the perspective of intestinal microecology. METHODS Thirty patients with sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit of the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, China, between 2019 and 2021 with indications for nutritional support, were randomly assigned to one of three different modalities of nutritional support for a total of 5 d: Total enteral nutrition (TEN group), total parenteral nutrition (TPN group), and supplemental parenteral nutrition (SPN group). Blood and stool specimens were collected before and after nutritional support, and changes in gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and immune and nutritional indicators were detected and compared among the three groups. RESULTS In comparison with before nutritional support, the three groups after nutritional support presented: (1) Differences in the gut bacteria (Enterococcus increased in the TEN group, Campylobacter decreased in the TPN group, and Dialister decreased in the SPN group; all P < 0.05); (2) different trends in SCFAs (the TEN group showed improvement except for Caproic acid, the TPN group showed improvement only for acetic and propionic acid, and the SPN group showed a decreasing trend); (3) significant improvement of the nutritional and immunological indicators in the TEN and SPN groups, while only immunoglobulin G improved in the TPN group (all P < 0.05); and (4) a significant correlation was found between the gut bacteria, SCFAs, and nutritional and immunological indicators (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION TEN is recommended as the preferred mode of early nutritional support in sepsis based on clinical nutritional and immunological indicators, as well as changes in intestinal microecology.
Methodological quality
Jadad score
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2
Allocation concealment
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No
