Clinical Nutrition Research

Currently, the team is involved in several ongoing projects:

  • We are actively enrolling patients as one of the sites of the ARDS Clinical Network enteral nutrition study.
  • Also, our evaluation of the incidence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with acute pancreatitis is nearing completion. Our preliminary results will be presented as a poster at Clinical Nutrition Week in New Orleans in February 09 (click here to view the poster).

Considering that we excluded anyone with a history of chronic pancreatitis, we were surprised to find such a high incidence of vitamin D deficiency.  More than 90% of the patients had either vitamin D insufficiency (20-30ng/dl) or frank deficiency (< 20 ng/dl), and more than 1/3 of the patients had a severe vitamin D deficiency (< 10 ng/dL).  This is certainly an area that deserves further investigation, but based on our results thus far we would recommend checking 25-OH vitamin D in patients with acute pancreatitis that require nutrition support.  We will update this page when our full results are available.

Other research interests in the past 6 years include:

  • Hensley N, Parrish CR. The Cost of Checking Gastric Residuals: Time to Put the Money Where the Evidence Is? Nutr Clin Pract 2008;23(2):210. [Abstract 26-532].
  • Willcutts K, Krenitsky J, Banh, L, Walker, S, Gasser E, Radigan A, O'Donnell K, Fessler T, Parrish CR. Is Monitoring of Serum Triglycerides Indicated in All Parenterally Fed Patients? University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville VA. ASPEN 2005. [Abstract] Nutr Clin Pract 2005;20(1):142-N055.
  • Makola D, Krenitsky J, Parrish CR, Dunston E, Shaffer HA, Yeaton P, Kahaleh M. Efficacy of Enteral Nutrition for the Treatment of Pancreatitis Using Standard Enteral Formula. Am J Gastroenterol 2006;101:2347-2355.
  • Yoder A, Parrish CR, Yeaton P. A retrospective review of the course of patients with pancreatitis discharged on jejunal feedings. Nutr Clin Pract 2002;17(5):314-320.