The effect of early feeding on postburn hypermetabolism.

The effect of early enteral feeding upon postburn hypermetabolism was studied on the fourteenth postburn day using five groups of rats. Feeding methods and treatments for the groups were: I) rat chow ad libitum at 2 hours postburn (PB); II) fed early by gastrostomy at 2 hours PB; III) fed late by gastrostomy at 72 hours PB; IV) fed early by gastrostomy--shaved control; V) rat chow ad libitum--shaved control. Gastrostomy feedings delivered 175 kcal/kg.day. The rates of heat production and heat loss did not differ significantly between any of the burn groups, whether fed ad libitum, or early or late by way of gastrostomy. The burned rats fed ad libitum gained significantly more weight than the rats fed late by gastrostomy. Contrary to previous studies using a guinea pig model, method and timing of feeding had no demonstrable effect on the postburn increment in heat loss and the secondary increment in heat production following thermal injury in rats.