Wu 2007a.

Methods	Randomised clinical trial, China
Participants	646 hospitalised adults with gastrointestinal cancer, at nutritional risk due to gastro‐colorectal surgery Male:Female = 366:280 Mean age = 62 years Exclusion criteria: severe liver function damage (Child.Pugh class ＞ B), severe impairment of renal function (serum creatinine ＞ 265.2 mol/L or needed haemodialysis), severe respiratory dysfunction (arterial PaO2 ＜ 70 mmHg), severe impairment of cardiac function (NYHA class ＞ 3), already infected, (temperature ＞ 37.6 °, WBC ＞ 11.0 x 109/L or bacteraemia), immune deficiency or damage (after radiotherapy or chemotherapy or WBC ＜ 2.0 × 109/L)
Interventions	Experimental group: Group 1: enteral nutrition of 125.5 kJ (30 cal)/(kg/day), 0.25 g/(kg/day) nitrogen. The course of the treatment was 7 days. (n = 215) Group 2: parenteral nutrition of 125.5 kJ (30 cal)/(kg/day), 0.25 g/(kg/day) nitrogen, electrolyte, microelements and vitamins. The course of the treatment was 7 days. (n = 215) Control group: Conventional fluid infusion (5% and 10% glucose and electrolytes) until they resumed normal eating ( 43.9 ˜ 13.4) kJ (10.5 ˜ 3.2) kcal/(kg/day). The course of the treatment was unclear. (n = 216)
Outcomes	Triceps folds, forearm midpoint circumference, body weight, albumin, transferrin, blood biochemistry, liver function and the calculation of nitrogen balance. Postoperative complications, mortality, serious adverse events, morbidity, postoperative length of hospital stay and weight change
Study dates	Not stated
Notes	Same as Wu 2007b, but with group 1 vs control. We found no contact information for the authors.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	The sequence generation was achieved using computer random‐number generator.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Not described
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Participants and personnel were not blinded.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Not described
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	The number of participants with incomplete data was not reported.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	No protocol could be obtained.
For‐profit bias	Unclear risk	It was unclear how the trial was funded.
Other bias	Low risk	The trial appeared to be free of other components that could put it at risk of bias.