A policy of immediate enteral feeding may be superior to delayed enteral feeding, even
though a limited amount of enterally administered nutrients are absorbed during the first few
days after burn injury. (2) Early nutrition supplementation in burned patients is associated
with less time taken to achieve positive nitrogen balance, and reduced urinary catecholamine
excretion and lower plasma glucagon concentrations during the first two weeks on enteral
nutrition. (5) Early enteral feeding reduces caloric deficits and may stimulate insulin secretion
and protein retention (6). Additional benefits are maintenance of mucosal integrity;
decreased incidence of diarrhoea and decrease length of hospitalisation is also supported.
(7) Early enteral feeding may decrease intestinal permeability, preserve the intestinal
mucosal barrier and reduce enterogenic infection. (8) Increased wound healing and
decreased length of care in patients with severe burns has also been shown with enteral
feeding commenced before the third day. (9) Delayed enteral feeding (>18 hours) results in a
high rate of gastroparesis and need for intravenous nutrition (10)