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).