Objective:To study the plasma antioxidant vitamin status in patients receiving enteral nutrition (EN) or parenteral nutrition (PN) after upper gastrointestinal surgery.
Methods :One hundred and twenty patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal cancer surgery were randomized into EN and PN group. The plasma vitamin A, vitamin E and β-carotene levels pre-and post-operation and one week after clinical nutrition supplement were studied.
Results:Vitamin A and β-carotene levels decreased significantly after surgery (P=0.03 and P=0.01, respectively). Vitamin E decreased 10 weeks after the nutrition, and it was significantly lower in the EN group than in the PN group (P<0.01), whereas vitamin A and β-carotene changed only slightly after nutrition (P>0.05).
Conclusions:A decrease of antioxidant vitamins is induced by surgery and vitamin E is recommended to be given in nutrition supplement patients, especially in the patients receiving EN.