Clinical impact of early enteral nutrition on postoperative pain, gastrointestinal function and nutritional status in colorectal cancer patients.

This research aimed to clarify the clinical impact of early enteral nu-trition (EN) on postoperative pain, gastrointestinal function and nutritional status of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Eighty rectal cancer patients undergoing sur-gery in our hospital from October 2021 to October 2023 were selected as research subjects and divided into an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG) using a random number table method, with 40 cases each. Both groups received conventional nursing, including preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative nursing. The CG received a traditional preoperative routine diet and postoperative EN support. The EG received five-day preoperative EN support and postoperative parenteral nutrition support based on a traditional preoperative routine diet. The analgesic effect indicators, pain scores, gastrointestinal function recovery indica-tors, adverse reactions and nutritional indicators in both groups received measure-ment and comparison. The Average additional amount of flurbiprofen axetil in the EG decreased relative to those in the CG (p<0.05). At six h and 12 h after surgery, VAS scores in the EG were lower than those in the CG during the same period; at 24 h and 48 h after surgery, no statistical significance in VAS scores was shown be-tween both groups (p>0.05). The bowel sound recovery time, first defecating time, first exhaust time, and first getting-out-of-bed time in EG were inferior relative to those in the CG (p<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the EG was reduced relative to that in the CG (p<0.05). Before surgery and one day after surgery, no statistically significant differences in total protein (TP) and serum albumin (ALB) levels were shown between both groups (p>0.05); three days and seven days after surgery, TP and ALB levels in the EG exhibited an elevation relative to those in CG during the same period (p<0.05). In conclusion, early EN can improve not only postoperative gastrointestinal function and nutritional status of patients but also mitigate postoperative pain and facilitate postoperative recovery with high safety, which is worthy of further clinical promotion.