Artificial nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease

Malnutrition is often a major clinical problem in patients affected by IBD. Assessment of nutritional status should be routinely carried out in these patients and, in case of severe malnutrition, artificial nutrition should be used. In ulcerative colitis and in Crohn disease localized to colonic segments both Parenteral Nutrition (PN) and Enteral Nutrition (EN) have similar results as support treatments but they have no primary therapeutic effects and then they are indicated only in case of severe malnutrition and/or when a surgical procedure is planned. Some theoretical advantages derived from supplementation of short chain fatty acids and omega3-series is still debated. More evident are the advantages of nutritional support in Crohn enteritis. Both PN and EN have a role as a primary therapy capable to induce remission although these results are not prolonged in time when nutrition is not associated with pharmacological treatments. Experiments of pharmaco-nutrition with glutamine and fish fatty acid have to be validated in the clinical practice. In case of integrity of the small bowel and tolerance of the patient, EN is preferable to PN for its lower costs and reduced related complications. PN is still indicated in more severe cases or in acute phase when the need of restoring rapidly the hydroelectrolitic and nitrogen/caloric balance prevails.