Background: Enteral feeding is the fastest growing area of artificial nutrition, with the annual rate of growth being estimated at 20-25% a year. Previous studies have demonstrated trace element deficiencies in patients on long-term home enteral nutrition (HEN).
Methods: The trace elements zinc, selenium, copper and manganese were measured in blood samples from 37 patients on HEN using atomic absorption spectroscopy.
Results: Plasma zinc concentrations (range 7.4-14.4 µmol/L) were below the reference range (12.6-22.0 µmol/L) in 30 patients, plasma selenium concentrations (range 0.73-1.76 µmol/L) were below the reference range (0.8-2.0 µmol/L) in only one patient. Whole blood manganese (range 74-309 nmol/L) and plasma manganese (range 13-51 nmol/L) were above both respective reference ranges (73-210 nmol/L and 9-24 nmol/L) in four patients. Two patients showed severely low plasma copper concentrations of 2.4 µmol/L and 2.5 µmol/L, and responded to treatment with extra copper supplementation.
Conclusion: Although enteral feeds contain adequate concentrations of trace elements, problems with bioavailability may occur and patients receiving long-term enteral feeding should be monitored with regard to plasma trace element concentrations.
