HMB intervention
The nutritional supplement used in this study was JIROU (EnterNutr, Guangzhou), containing 8.32 g of maltodextrin, 1.5 g of HMBCa, 0.1 g of sweet orange powder, and 0.08 g of sucralose per 10 g. It provided 34 kcal of energy and no protein. The supplement, which included 1.5 g of HMB, was dissolved in 100 ml of warm water and administered orally or via tube feeding twice daily by nurses. HMB administration should commence when the patient is receiving enteral nutrition and should be discontinued if there is intolerance to enteral nutrition.Furthermore, ensuring patient safety remained our paramount concern. Guided by clinical practice guidelines for early rehabilitation [