Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study cohort
| Period 1 | Period 2 | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine NJT feeding | Early oral feeding with on-demand NJT feeding | ||
| (n = 51) | (n = 51) | ||
| Male, n (%) | 36 (71%) | 29 (57%) | 0.149 |
| Age, years, median (IQR) | 65 (58–74) | 67 (63–74) | 0.223 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2, median (IQR) | 24.7 (21.9–26.9) | 25.8 (23.3–28.4) | 0.061 |
| MUST score ≥2, n (%) | 7 (17%) | 12 (26%) | 0.308 |
| Severe weight loss, n (%) | 21 (41%) | 18 (36%) | 0.539 |
| Preoperative dietary intervention, n (%) | 17 (33%) | 25 (49%) | 0.108 |
| Preoperative enteral nutrition, n (%) | 6 (12%) | 5 (10%) | 0.750 |
| ASA class, n (%) | 0.103 | ||
| 1 | 12 (24%) | 16 (31%) | |
| 2 | 34 (67%) | 24 (47%) | |
| 3 | 5 (10%) | 11 (22%) | |
| AJCC cancer stage ≥IIa, n (%) | 38 (75%) | 43 (84%) | 0.221 |
| Histopathological diagnosis, n (%) | 0.844 | ||
| Pancreatic adenocarcinoma | 20 (39%) | 25 (49%) | |
| Ampullary adenocarcinoma | 9 (18%) | 9 (18%) | |
| Cholangiocarcinoma | 8 (16%) | 5 (10%) | |
| Duodenal adenocarcinoma | 1 (2%) | 2 (4%) | |
| Neuroendocrine tumour | 4 (8%) | 4 (8%) | |
| Pancreatitis | 5 (10%) | 2 (4%) | |
| Other | 4 (8%) | 4 (8%) | |
| Procedure, n (%) | 0.621 | ||
| Pylorus-preserving PD | 37 (73%) | 33 (65%) | |
| Whipple PD | 2 (4%) | 5 (10%) | |
| Total pancreatectomy | 1 (2%) | 2 (4%) | |
| PD with additional resection | 11 (22%) | 11 (32%) | |
NJT, nasojejunal tube; IQR, interquartile range; MUST, Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool; ASA, American Society of Anesthesiologists; AJCC, American Joint Committee on Cancer; PD, pancreatoduodenectomy.