ObjectiveTo explore the effect of perioperative nutritional management on patients with spinal cord injury under the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) theory.MethodsA total of 82 patients with spinal cord injury admitted to a tertiay hospital in Shanghai between August 2018 and May 2020 were selected by convenience sampling method. They were randomly divided into intervention group and control group, with 41 cases in each group. The patients in the control group received conventional orthopaedics elective surgery nutritional management, while the patients in the intervention group adopted perioperative nutritional management based on ERAS concept, including establishing a multidisciplinary nutritional management team, conducting admission and regular nutritional screenings, and then developing targeted nutritional interventions based on the screening results. Biochemical indexes of nutritional assessment, electrolyte indexes, nutrition-related complications and general inpatient indexes were observed and compared between the two groups.ResultsThere were statistically significant differences in albumin, prealbumin, total protein, hemoglobin, potassium, sodium, and chlorine between the two groups on the first day after surgery and one day before discharge (P<0.05). The incidences of hypoglycemia (2.4% vs. 19.5%) and total complications (19.5% vs. 61.0%) in the intervention group were lower than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The total hospital stay [(10.48±2.61) vs. (12.09±2.74) d], postoperative hospital stay [(5.57±2.35) vs. (7.55±3.01) d], and hospital expenses [(11.21±4.42)×104 vs. (14.73±5.51)×104 yuan] in the intervention group were less than those in the control group (P<0.01).ConclusionPerioperative nutritional management under the ERAS theory can effectively improve the nutritional status of patients with spinal cord injury, maintain electrolyte balance, reduce the incidence of complications, shorten the length of hospitalization, reduce the cost of hospitalization, and promote postoperative rehabilitation of patients.