[Alternatives to peripheral-venous parenteral feeding].

The protein-sparing effect of different programs of peripheral-venous parenteral feeding was studied in 31 patients following abdominal surgery. 10 patients (group II) received 1 g amino acids/kgBW/day, 11 patients (group III) 1 g amino acids and 2 g carbohydrates/kgBW/day and 10 patients (group I, control) were infused only with water and electrolytes. Patients with simultaneous addition of amino acids and carbohydrates had significantly better nitrogen balances than patients given amino acids alone. The normalisation of amino acids metabolised and delivered predominantly by muscle, just as the significant improvement in serum levels of transport and acute-phase proteins demonstrated that the utilisation of added amino acids took place not only in peripheral but also in visceral tissues. Comparable positive effects could not be seen with sole amino acid infusion. Our study indicates that this program, being effective in the state of keto-adapted starvation, is of no use in the early postoperative period, because of lacking corresponding metabolic conditions.