Abstract
A comparative study between elemental diets containing small peptides (T group) and liquid diet (L group) was performed in 20 patients with head and neck cancer after the operation. Eight patients were given an elemental diet containing small peptides and twelve were given a liquid diet through a nasogastric feeding tube. Although there was no statistically significant difference, higher caloric intake was maintained in the T group. Compared to the L group, the incidence of abdominal fullness and diarrhea was rare in the T group. Defecation was less frequent in the T group; therefore nursing care was not troublesome. No severe nutritional disturbance of organs was found in either the T or L group. The present study demonstrates that an elemental diet containing small peptides is useful both clinically and nutritionally for patients with head and neck cancer after surgery.
