Malabsorption and maldigestion

Malabsorption and maldigestion occur when the digestion and absorption of nutrients – the principal functions of the intestine – are not properly carried out.

Patients with gastro-intestinal pathologies or those undergoing digestive surgery or intestinal resections often present with various degrees of malabsorption and/or maldigestion which in turn involve a high risk of malnutrition. In addition, patients with severe illnesses, especially critical patients, may present with intestinal insufficiency. Lack of tolerance of enteral nutrition formulas, associated with maldigestion/malabsorption, is a key factor in the development or exacerbation of malnutrition related to the disease.

Peptidic enteral formulas are indicated when managing the diet of patients suffering from malabsorptive conditions or gastro-intestinal dysfunction in the acute phase of the serious illness as well as those who present with intolerance of polymeric formulas. The purpose of using peptide formulas in patients with compromised gastro-intestinal systems is to facilitate digestion and the absorption of nutrients and to improve tolerance of treatment with enteral nutrition or nutritional supplements, reducing the risk of diarrhoea, one of the most frequent and serious complications of enteral nutrition.

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Makola D. Elemental and Semi-Elemental Formulas: Are They Superior to Polymeric formulas?.En Nutrition Issues in Gastroenterology, series #34. Practical Gastroenterology. Pg 59-72.
Poropat G, Giljaca V, Hauser G, Štimac D. Enteral nutrition formulations for acute pancreatitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;23:CD010605.

Seres DS, Ippolito PR. Pilot study evaluating the efficacy, tolerance and safety of a peptide-based enteral formula versus a high protein enteral formula in multiple ICU settings (medical, surgical, cardiothoracic). ClinNutr. 2017;36:706-9.

Forbes A, Escher J, Hébuterne X, Kłęk S, Krznaric Z, Schneider S, et al. ESPEN guideline: Clinical nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease. ClinNutr. 2017;36:321-47.

Peptisens

High protein and high energy complete oligomeric diet, partly hydrolyzed