Nutrition in acute pancreatitis: a review

Abstract

We perform an update about nutritional measures that have been adopted in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). The nutritional support is an essential part of treatment in AP. When the AP is mild or moderate, there is no doubt that is not necessary to use an artificial nutritional support, and it is recommended that oral nutritional support should begin as soon as possible. If the AP is severe, the best way to provide nutritional support is through enteral nutritional (EN) because it reduces infection, length of hospitalization and mortality rate. Parenteral nutrition (PN) should be used only when EN is Impossible. However, there is no scientific evidence for recommending the most optimal route necessary to administer this type of nutritional support; we seek to uncover whether this is by gastric or jejunal route and the proper formula to use. There is an international agreement that the nutritional support should begin quickly, within the first 24 and 72 hours of hospitalization. As conclusion, more research needs to be done concerning nutritional support in AP, and many questions are not been answered yet.