The purpose of this randomized trial is to clarify the role of enteral nutrition (EN) on the relationship between cardiopulmonary bypass-induced inflammation and insulin resistance by investigating the effects of two different feeding strategies in infants following cardiac surgery. The study's primary objective is to determine if early and higher volume feeding modifies the relationship between the severity of postoperative systemic inflammation and insulin resistance.
Good nutrition is important for patients after surgery. Patients who are given food tend to have fewer infections, better wound healing, and are possibly discharged more quickly from the intensive care unit and hospital. However, the best time to start feeds and the speed at which they can be increased is unclear. This may be particularly true for young children who have undergone heart surgery using a heart-lung bypass machine (bypass surgery). Bypass surgery can cause inflammation that can change the way the body uses energy and nutrients. Specifically, after bypass the body can become insensitive to insulin (insulin resistant), which means that the cells in the body don't take up sugar from the blood like they are supposed to, and this may lead to complications from the surgery. In a recent study we found that inflammation and insulin resistance was not associated with as many complications in children who were being fed. We are not sure if feeding changed the way in which the body responded after surgery or if doctors chose to feed only patients who were already recovering well. In general, doctors often hesitate to feed patients immediately after surgery because they worry that the body may not be ready for food although there is not much information to prove that this worry is correct. Starting feeds early using a structured feeding plan may be good during the recovery from heart surgery, even in our most vulnerable patients. We therefore designed this study to see if starting feeds early after bypass surgery and increasing them more quickly than our usual routine would decrease inflammation and insulin resistance. We will only study children younger than 6 months of age because they are at higher risk of complications from bypass surgery.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
86
Feeding is initiated on first postoperative day. Bolus feeds are started at 1 mL/kg every three hours and up-titrated by 1 mL/kg every feed (Q 3 hours) to a goal of 10 mL/kg/feed (equivalent to approximately 50 kcal/kg/day). Feeding volume will exceed 20 mL/kg/day by 6 hours following protocol initiation and reach target feeds by 27 hours of protocol initiation.
Feeding is initiated on first postoperative day. Bolus feeds are started at 3 mL every three hours for 24 hours. Bolus feeds then up-titrated by 1 mL/kg every-other feed (Q 6 hours) for 24 hours. Bolus feeds then up-titrated by 1mL/kg every feed for to a goal of 10 mL/kg/feed (equivalent to approximately 50 kcal/kg/day). Feeding volume will reach target feeds by 60-63 hours after protocol initiation.
The Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Insulin resistance
Plasma insulin concentrations and glucose-insulin ratio (GIR) - GIR will be calculated at each time point and used to reflect insulin resistance, with lower values representing increased resistance
Time frame: 96 hours
Postoperative systemic inflammation
Serial measurements of postoperative cytokine (IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNFalpha) concentrations
Time frame: 96 hours
Cardiac output
Postoperative cardiac output measured by respiratory mass spectrometry and Fick equation
Time frame: 96 hours
Morbidity score
Postoperative morbidity assessed by a composite morbidity score that includes death, cardiac arrest, use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, cardiogenic shock, acute kidney injury, hepatic injury, or hospital-acquired infection.
Time frame: 96 hours
Number of subjects achieving goal feeds
Time frame: 96 hours
Number of subjects with NEC/feeding intolerance/protocol violations
Time frame: 96 hours
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