Immunonutrition in patients after multiple trauma

Severe trauma threatens the life of the victim, both directly and indirectly via immunological dysregulation during the subsequent clinical course. Inflammatory or infectious episodes may complicate the clinical course and ultimately result in sepsis and multiple organ failure, which have mortality rates of up to 80%. Immunomodulatory intervention aims to ameliorate the early hyperinflammatory phase (systemic inflammatory response syndrome, SIRS) to avoid the development of sepsis. One of the immunomodulation strategies is enteral feeding supplemented with specific nutrients, such as glutamine, n-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids, and nucleotides ('immunonutrition'), because changes in the GALT (gut-associated lymphoid tissue) immune response may contribute to intestinal dysfunction and increase susceptibility to post injury gut-derived sepsis. In a prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled study in twenty-nine patients suffering severe trauma we were able to show that immunonutrition (arginine, n-3-fatty acids, and nucleotides) significantly reduces the number of SIRS days per patient, and also lowers the multiple organ failure (MOF) score on day 3 and days 8-11 (P<0.05). Other studies have reported a reduction in septic complications and MOF rates, shortened hospital stay, and reduction in the use of antibiotics in patients randomized to the immune-enhancing diet. This improved clinical outcome was reflected in a reduction in hospital costs. In the recovery period after trauma (1-72 h after injury) a limitation of the inflammatory response of immunocompetent cells must be achieved as quickly as possible (<72 h). The only strategy available to clinicians caring for trauma patients is immunonutrition, and this should be strongly considered as a rational approach improving immune function and reducing septic complications in critically ill or injured patients.