Effects of Immune-Enhancing Enteral Nutrition on Mortality and Oxygenation in Acute Lung Injury and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis:

Purpose: The contribution of the immune system to the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has led to a recent interest in the use of immune-enhancing enteral nutrition as a treatment modality. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the effectiveness of immune-enhancing enteral nutrition as compared with standard enteral nutrition, with respect to mortality and change in oxygenation status, in patients with acute lung injury (ALI)/ARDS.Methods: A systematic review was conducted of randomized controlled trials comparing immune-enhancing enteral nutrition with standard enteral nutrition in adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients with ALI/ARDS. Data were combined in a meta-analysis with STATA SE version 9.2 (StataCorp) using a random effects model.Results: Three studies fulfilled inclusion criteria, totaling 411 patients. These studies demonstrated a statistically significant relative risk (RR) for in-hospital mortality, favoring patients who received immune-enhancing enter...