Assessing the impact of enteral nutrition on peripancreatic exudate in acute pancreatitis using CT volume measurement.

To investigate the effect of enteral nutrition (EN) on peripancreatic exudate in MSAP and SAP patients using CT volume measurement. This retrospective study included 328 patients diagnosed with MSAP and SAP from October 2017 to June 2023. Patients were divided into EN and non-EN groups and further stratified into acute peripancreatic fluid collection (APFC) and acute necrotic collection (ANC) groups based on local complications. Abdominal CT images obtained within 24 h of admission and within 15 days after therapy were analyzed using Itk-Snap software to outline and calculate peripancreatic exudate volumes. Volume differences before and after therapy were compared between groups. A 1 year follow-up was conducted to compare the time of complete resolution of peripancreatic exudate between groups. After EN therapy, patients have significantly less peripancreatic exudate than those who do not receive EN. In the APFC and ANC groups, EN was associated with a greater reduction in exudate than that in the non-EN group. The time to complete resolution of exudate was shorter in the EN group than in the non-EN group. EN promotes the absorption of peripancreatic exudate and improves the prognosis of patients with MSAP and SAP.