All patients were fed via a nasogastric tube with a high-protein standard kitchen formula prepared at the hospital in an intermittent fashion. The distribution of macronutrients was as follows: 20% protein, 30% lipids, and 50% carbohydrates. Caloric intake was calculated based on 20 kcal per kg of body weight for patients in the catabolic phase and 30 kcal per kg of adjusted body weight for patients in the anabolic phase