[Nitrogen balance of children with fistulae of the small intestine kept on a diet with a protein enteral feeding formula].

Sixteen children with small bowel fistulas receiving hospital diets and 9 children with the same condition kept on the diets including products for enteral nutrition were examined over time. The use of the hospital diets alone brought about the lowering of the patients' body weight, high protein excretion via fistulas, negative nitrogenous balance, and protracted clinical course of the disease. After the patients were placed on the diet including products for enteral nutrition, the protein content amounting up to 50%, the body weight gain, a 2-times reduction in protein losses with the chyme, establishment of the positive nitrogenous balance, increase in the total blood protein, and a more favourable clinical course of the disease were recorded.