ENTERAL NUTRITION IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS WITH SEVERE ANOREXIA NERVOSA: SHORT AND MEDIUM-TERM OUTCOMES

we studied 61 AN patients, consecutively hospitalized for acute medical complications. Enteral support was used when patients were unable to get the expected rates of weight gain with staged oral refeeding. Clinical and biochemical parameters were evaluated on admission, at discharge, and 6 months after discharge. Results: forty two patients received staged oral refeeding while 19 patients required nasogastric feeding. Tube-fed patients had a mean duration of illness of 101.4±84.8 months. Their BMI was 12.8±1.7 on admission, 14.2±1.4 at discharge, 16.6±1.9 six months after discharge. Mean duration of EN was 19.3±13.0 days. No major complications attributable to nasogastric feeding were noticed and patients’ compliance was satisfactory. Multivariate analysis revealed that BMI on admission and duration of illness, but not the type of treatment (oral/enteral), were predictors of weight gain at 6-months follow-up. Conclusion: when oral nutrition fails, enteral nutrition represents a safe and effective intervention in AN patients with life-threatening medical complications.