Benefit of Early Feeding in Acute Pancreatitis: The Jury Is Still Out

The optimal timing and route of feeding in patients with pancreatitis remains controversial. In a systematic review, researchers evaluated the effect of early versus delayed feeding on outcomes in hospitalized patients with acute pancreatitis. The study included 11 randomized trials (3 published abstracts) comprising nearly 1000 patients with mild, moderate, or severe pancreatitis and including various feeding routes (nasogastric, nasoenteric, and nasojejunal).

Early feeding was not associated with an increased risk for adverse events or worsening of symptoms in any study, whether in mild, moderate, or severe pancreatitis. In 4 of 7 studies of mild-to-moderate pancreatitis, early feeding was associated with a shorter hospital stay. In the on…