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Biomedical subjects

D B Silk

Publications and source records attributed to D B Silk.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Do patients with moderately impaired gastrointestinal function requiring enteral nutrition need a predigested nitrogen source? A prospective crossover controlled clinical trial.

This prospective double blind randomised seven day crossover controlled clinical trial was carried out to determine whether enterally fed patients with moderately impaired gastrointestinal function require a predigested nitrogen (N) source compared with whole protein. Twelve malnourished patients with varying gastrointestinal abnormalities, who required enteral feeding, received 2.25 l of one of two isocaloric isonitrogenous enteral diets (1 kcal/ml, 4.8 g nitrogen/l) containing either predominantly medium chain peptides (tetra or higher peptides) or whole protein as the nitrogen source. Nitrogen absorption and balance were calculated from dietary intake and analysis of 24 hour total urinary and faecal nitrogen for the last five days of each study period. There was no significant difference in either stool weight (110 (SEM) (49) v 111 (32) g/d), nitrogen absorption (91 (2) v 89 (2)%) or nitrogen balance (+1.0 (1.3) v +0.6 (1.4) g nitrogen/d) between the peptide and whole protein nitrogen sources when all patients are considered. There was, however, evidence to suggest a nutritional advantage from administering an enteral diet whose nitrogen source comprises oligopeptides, rather than whole protein, to a subgroup of patients with small bowel disease.

Dietary Proteins↗
PubMed1992

Esophagogastrectomy: a consecutive single-center series.

We present a 7-year consecutive, nonselected, single-center series of patients (n = 140) submitted to surgery for esophageal or upper gastric malignancy. Follow-up data are complete for 96.4% of patients. Of 114 intrathoracic anastomoses, 74 (65%) were esophagogastric and 40 (35%) were esophagojejunal. Unresectable lesions were present in 26 (19%) patients. Age (mean +/- sd 64.6 +/- 11.1 years), and sex distribution were similar in all groups, while 36% of patients were over 70 years. There was no significant difference in the time from the onset of symptoms to presentation between the groups (p < 0.05). The values of admission hemoglobin, serum albumin, PaO2 or peak expiratory flow rate did not correlate with survival. There was no significant difference in 30-day operative mortality between the three procedures - esophagectomy 5%, thoraco-abdominal gastrectomy 10.8% and unresectable 11.5% (p > 0.05). The incidence of respiratory complications was the same whether a right (30%) or left (35%) thoracotomy was performed. Some 33% of patients were discharged from hospital after 14 days and 72% after 21 days (12.9% died in hospital). One-year survival was 33.4% for esophagectomy, 37.5% for total gastrectomy and 6% for unresectable lesions. The esophagectomy versus total gastrectomy survival curves were not significantly different, but there was a significant survival advantage when patients undergoing esophagectomy were compared with those who had unresectable tumors (0.02 > p > 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1992

Early experience with the Bower percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube.

Percutaneous endoscopic insertion of gastrostomy tubes is a technique becoming more widely used in the UK. It allows insertion of a gastrostomy tube without laparotomy, under local anaesthesia and sedation, and so operative insertion may eventually become a rarity. We report on our successful early experience with a new gastrostomy tube (Bower PEG) which does not require endoscopy if eventual removal is required, and describe the methods of insertion and removal.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Effects of olsalazine and sulphasalazine on jejunal and ileal water and electrolyte absorption in normal human subjects.

The effect of sulphasalazine and olsalazine on jejunal and ileal water and electrolyte absorption was investigated in normal subjects by a steady state intestinal perfusion of a physiological glucose bicarbonate electrolyte solution in the absence and presence of increasing concentrations of each drug. (Olsalazine 0.25 g/l, 1.0 g/l, jejunum; 0.5 g/l, 1.0 g/l, ileum; sulphasalazine 0.25 g/l, 0.5 g/l, 2.0 g/l jejunum; 1.0 g/l, 2.0 g/l, ileum.) In the jejunum olsalazine at 1.0 g/l significantly inhibited water, sodium, chloride, and potassium absorption (p less than 0.05). In the ileum olsalazine at 0.5 and 1 g/l significantly inhibited glucose uptake (p less than 0.04) and water absorption (p less than 0.03). In the jejunum sulphasalazine had a dose related and significant inhibitory effect on water, bicarbonate, and sodium absorption and at 2.0 g/l an inhibitory effect on chloride, potassium (p less than 0.005), and glucose (p less than 0.05) absorption. In the ileum sulphasalazine had no significant effect on water and electrolyte absorption. All inhibitory effects were rapidly reversible. These data show that unexplained diarrhoea in patients with ulcerative colitis treated with olsalazine may occur as a consequence of inhibition of water and electrolyte absorption in the small intestine and that the mechanisms of inhibition of sulphasalazine and olsalazine are different.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Hepatobiliary dysfunction associated with total parenteral nutrition.

We have reviewed and discussed data concerning the development of hepatobiliary dysfunction in the patient requiring TPN. The data above can be summarised in a short statement--TPN-related hepatobiliary dysfunction is multifactorial. Despite all the factors discussed, the patients underlying disease state and the severity of the illness may be the most significant factor in the development of hepatobiliary dysfunction. With our current state of knowledge it is only possible for the clinician to be aware which of his patients are most likely to develop problems, and to forecast the type of dysfunction that is most likely to occur. There is no treatment--apart from stopping TPN--but there are certain methods by which the incidence and degree of dysfunction may be minimised, or some of the complications (e.g. gallstones) treated. Fortunately in most cases the degree of dysfunction is both self-limiting and reversible on cessation of TPN.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Development of thrombophlebitis in peripheral veins with Vialon and PTFE-Teflon cannulas: a double-blind, randomised, controlled trial.

A series of 54 normal subjects were randomised to have either a Vialon or a PTFE-Teflon peripheral vein cannula inserted in a vein in each forearm to observe the development of thrombophlebitis. Cannulas were inspected twice daily for up to 5 days to observe the development of three signs, erythema, oedema or hardness and one symptom, pain. Each sign and symptom was recorded twice daily at three points, the cannula insertion site, the mid-point of the cannula and the cannula tip. The degree of change was recorded as less than 1, 1-2 and greater than 2 cm. Any cannula causing any sign greater than 2 cm was removed. By the end of the study over 40% of both types of cannula had been removed. There were no significant differences between the numbers of each type of cannula removed at any time point throughout the duration of the study. There were no significant differences in the amounts of erythema or hardness, but minimally increased swelling was observed at the mid-point of the PTFE-Teflon cannulas (P = 0.022). Despite the theoretical superiority of Vialon as a cannula material, under controlled conditions there appears to be little difference in its inherent capacity to cause the thrombophlebitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Occult abdominal wall peristomal abscess following percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.

This case report describes the complication of peristomal abscess formation associated with the insertion of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). The formation of a peristomal anterior abdominal wall abscess in this patient was associated with the failure to give prophylactic antibiotics. The development of this potentially fatal complication may be avoided by strict observance of insertion protocols. This case was treated by removal of the gastrostomy tube after diagnosis which allowed drainage of the abscess. In similar cases of occult abscess formation, where symptoms are present but signs are absent, ultrasonography may be useful in diagnosis.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

7 g weighted versus unweighted polyurethane nasoenteral tubes--spontaneous transpyloric passage and clinical performance: a controlled randomised trial.

A proportion of patients requiring enteral nutrition is at increased risk of regurgitation or pulmonary aspiration of enteral diet as a result of gastric atony or paresis. The positioning of the distal end of an enteral feeding tube beyond the pylorus into duodenum or jejunum may reduce this risk. It has been postulated that by suitable lengthening of feeding tubes and by altering the distal end tip profile or by the addition of a weight, spontaneous passage of a tube through the pylorus after pernasal insertion may be achieved. In a recent controlled trial we were unable to demonstrate any advantage to a) modifying the tip profile or b) the addition of a 2.4 g weight. This prospective controlled clinical study examined the difference between an unweighted polyurethane tube which had performed optimally in the previous study and a new 7 g weighted tube similar in all other respects. In both cases less than 50% of tubes had passed spontaneously through the pylorus when assessed at 24 h, with no significant difference in performance (p = 0.38). When comparing overall length of time that each tube remained in situ, there was similarly no significant difference between the 7 g weighted and unweighted tubes (p = 0.277). We conclude that the addition of a 7 g weight to a suitably lengthened enteral feeding tube confers no advantage on either incidence of spontaneous transpyloric passage or in prolonging tube usage. If post-pyloric feeding is indicated for a patient, positioning by either fluoroscopic or endoscopic techniques should be undertaken.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1989

Inflammatory bowel disease: nutritional implications and treatment.

It is clear that the nutritional state of patients with inflammatory bowel disease is often impaired and that the provision of nutritional support results in an improvement in nutritional state of these patients. Improvement in nutritional status can be achieved as effectively with enteral as with parenteral nutrition. The nutritional support appears to have no primary therapeutic effect in patients with ulcerative colitis. With regard to nutritional support in Crohn's disease, parenteral nutrition should be restricted to use as supportive rather than primary therapy. Available information now seems to suggest that most of the benefits of parenteral nutrition in Crohn's disease are related to improvement in nutritional state rather than as primary therapy, and its use should be restricted to treatments of specific complications of Crohn's disease, such as intestinal obstruction, related to stricture formation or short bowel syndrome following repeated resection. The present available evidence indicates that defined elemental diets may have a primary therapeutic role in the management of first acute attacks of Crohn's disease when there is a need to improve the nutritional status of patients with inflammatory bowel disease as an adjunct to primary drug therapy. Enteral nutrition is as efficacious as parenteral nutrition; moreover, it is safer to administer and more cost-effective.

Colitis, Ulcerative↗
PubMed1989

Influence of energy and nitrogen contents of enteral diets on nitrogen balance: a double blind prospective controlled clinical trial.

Results of recent controlled studies show that because of difficulties in administering adequate quantities of enteral diet, positive nitrogen balance is not consistently achieved during enteral feeding. In order to determine whether nitrogen balance can be improved in routine clinical practice by prescribing enteral diets containing higher concentrations of nutrients, 118 patients with normal gastrointestinal function needing enteral nutrition were randomised to receive daily 21 of one of three polymeric diets: Standard diet (1.0 kcal/ml; 6.3 gN/l), Energy Dense diet (1.5 kcal/ml; 7.8 gN/l), and Energy-Nitrogen Dense diet (1.5 kcal/ml; 9.4 gN/l. The three diets, administered by continuous nasogastric infusion, were equally well tolerated. Results were analysed only for patients fed five or more days and who received at least 60% of prescribed enteral diet (n = 42). Positive nitrogen balance was achieved only in the patients receiving the Energy-Nitrogen Dense diet (n = 16; + 1.6 (SE) 0.6 gN/d, compared with the Standard diet (n = 12; -3.8 (1.1) gN/d; p less than 0.001), and the Energy Dense diet (m = 14; -1.9 (0.8) gN/d; p less than 0.005). As the findings of this prospective controlled trial show that positive nitrogen balance was not consistently achieved by administering 21 enteral diet containing up to 15.6 gN, consideration could, therefore, be given to routinely using enteral diets containing up to 9.4 gN/l.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Fibre and enteral nutrition.

The recent launch of a number of fibre enriched polymeric diet in the United States and Europe has stimulated considerable interest in the topic of fibre and enteral nutrition, and several commercial concerns appear to be under considerable pressures from their consumers to produce similar products. As a means of identifying areas of potential application of fibre to enteral nutrition some of the recent knowledge gained about the physical properties of dietary fibre and the processes involved in the intestinal assimilation of fibre has been reviewed. Two areas of interest are identifiable. The first relates to the bulking properties of fibre and the application of this to the regulation of bowel function in enterally fed patients. It is clear from the clinical studies that have been reviewed that there remains a paucity of controlled data, and a great deal more research is needed before widespread use of fibre supplemented diets can be supported. Perhaps of greater interest academically is the potentially beneficial effects that appear to be exerted by the VFA's, liberated as a consequence of colonic bacterial fermentation of fibre, on morphology and function of ileal and colonic mucosa. Although there are a number of potential applications of fibre supplemented enteral diets in this area, more research is required before any firm recommendations can be made about recommending their use. The one exception concerns patients with the nutritionally inadequate short bowel syndrome. There does seem to be sufficient experimental evidence to suggest that clinical studies should be commenced using a pectin supplemented predigested 'elemental' diet in these patients. Overall therefore, one is forced to conclude that the increasing interest and use of fibre supplemented enteral diets is being driven more by market than scientific forces. Nevertheless, the promotion of these diets has already provided a powerful stimulus to the scientific community, and it remains entirely possible that many of the potential applications of these diets will be realised in the near future.

Constipation↗