Effect of Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition Support on Pulmonary Function in Elderly Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Complicated by Respiratory Failure

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of enteral and parenteral nutrition support (EPNS) on pulmonary function in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) complicated by respiratory failure (RF). METHODS: A total of 127 patients who underwent treatment for elderly patients with COPD complicated by RF in our hospital from February 2020 to May 2022 were collected for a retrospective analysis. There were 41 patients with enteral nutrition support (group A), 46 with parenteral nutrition support (group B), and 40 with EPNS (group C). The levels of serum albumin (ALB), prealbumin (PA), serum hemoglobin (Hb), and serum transferrin (TRF) were measured before and after nutritional support in the three groups, and the changes in pulmonary function of patients were compared. The changes in the levels of inflammatory factors and markers of oxidative stress (OS) in serum were also detected, and the incidence of adverse reactions and length of stay (LOS) were counted. RESULTS: ALB, PA, Hb, and TRF levels were increased in all 3 groups after nutritional support, with the highest in group C (P < 0.05). Similarly, lung function was improved in all 3 groups and inflammatory factor levels and OS were suppressed, also most dramatically in group C (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of adverse reactions among the 3 groups, and the LOS in group C was shorter than those in groups A and B (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: EPNS can effectively improve the lung function of patients with COPD combined with RF and reduce the inflammation and OS damage. It can effectively improve the therapeutic effect of patients and has great application prospects in the treatment of COPD combined with RH in the future.