ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effects of early enteral nutrition in severe thoracic trauma patients requiring mechanical ventilation. MethodsWe randomly allocated 60 patients with thoracic trauma requiring mechanical ventilation into two groups by drawing lots including an early enteral nutrition (EEN) group and a parenteral nutrition (PN) group in our hospital between January 2013 and September 2014 year. There were 30 patients in each group. We compared the recovery results of the patients between the two groups. ResultsAfter the treatment of 7 and 14 days, indicators in the EEN group were better than before significantly and better than those in the PN group; diarrhea rate average days of ICU and the average days of hospital decreased significantly with statistical differences (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in ventilator-associated pneumonia or the incidence of stress ulcer between the two groups (P>0.05). ConclusionEarly enteral nutrition in severe chest trauma patients requiring mechanical ventilation may promote protein synthesis, improve the nutritional status of patients, correct negative nitrogen balance, reduce inflammation response, reduce the complications.