Parenteral nutrition (PN) was administered to 24 patients with chronic enteritis. Their mean age was 37 years (range 17 to 69 years). Seventeen times Crohn's disease was involved, five times ulcerative colitis and twice postprandial enteritis. The mean period of PN was 24.6 +/- 12.9 days and its energy value was 7.79 +/- 1.63 MJ/24 hours. Some patients had a restricted oral intake, on average 5 MJ/24 hours. The energy output at rest assessed by indirect calorimetry was 7.62 +/- 1.06 MJ/24 hours. Along with PN the patients had aimed antiinflammatory treatment. In the majority of patients clinical improvement was recorded. The nutritional status improved in 13 patients, was not affected in 9 and in two it deteriorated. The improvement of the nutritional status was not always associated with regression of manifestations of the local enteritis. In particular affections of the rectum in Crohn's disease were resistant to treatment and the position changed after a derivation stoma operation.

Keywords: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Chronic Disease; Colitis, Ulcerative /metabolism/; Crohn Disease /metabolism/; Energy Intake; Energy Metabolism; Enteritis /metabolism/; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Parenteral Nutrition