Comparison of enteral and parenteral nutrition in the management of acute pancreatitis

This study investigated the efficacy of enteral nutrition compared with parenteral nutrition in patients with acute pancreatitis, with the aim of determining which of these modalities provides better clinical outcomes. A qualitative analysis was performed based on the review of meta-analyses and literature reviews, using a search of recognised medical databases. Inclusion criteria included clinical trials, systematic reviews and relevant observational studies, and the methodological quality of the selected studies was assessed. The results highlighted that enteral nutrition was associated with a significant reduction in mortality, systemic infections, need for surgical interventions and length of hospital stay compared with parenteral nutrition. Meta-analyses indicated that enteral nutrition not only decreased serious complications, but also showed a trend towards an improvement in overall clinical outcomes. These results suggest that enteral nutrition is a preferred strategy for the management of acute pancreatitis, given its superiority in terms of reduced complications and hospital costs. This study highlights the importance of reconsidering parenteral nutrition in favor of options that optimize recovery and clinical resources