Abstract: AIM: To study the effects of early enteral nutrition(EEN) with nasal-intestinal tube on the postoperative fatigue syndrome in the elderly with gastric cancer.METHODS: Elder postoperative patients with gastric cancer were randomly divided into EEN group (n=40) and PN group (n=40). The patients in EEN group were infused with enteral nutritional suspension through nasal-intestinal tube at 24 hours after the operation. The patients in PN group received vein nutrition through the central vein. The indices were investigated such as nitrogen balance, falinue(Chrislensen score), sleep time, the body weigh,hand grip strength,triceps skin-fold thickness,upper arm circumference,serum levels of albumin,prealbumin,transferring and retinol binding protein.RESULTS:On postoperative day 7,the fatigue scores in EEN group were significantly lower than those in PN group(P<0.01). The positive nitrogen balance in the EEN group was got on the third postoperative day, 3 d earlier than that in the PN group, and the levels of nitrogen balance on the third postoperative day were varied significantly between groups (P<0.01). The cumulative nitrogen balance was positive in the EEN group while negative in the PN group (P<0.01). On postoperative day 7,the body weigh, triceps skin-fold thickness, upper arm circumference of the two groups all were dropped but without significant differences(P>0.05), the hand grip strength and sleep time in the EEN group was much superior to the PN group (P<0.05). Serum levels of prealbumin and retinol binding protein in the EEN group were increased more significantly than those in the PN group (P<0.01).CONCLUSION: Early enteral nutrition of gastric cancer in the elderly can improve the POFS, reduce the duration of the POFS, and improve the nitrogen balance, especially during the early postoperative period.

Key words: Postoperative fatigue syndrome, Early enteral nutrition, Gastric cancer