Malnutrition is commonly considered an important risk factor that can produce a negative influence on the prognosis of elderly patients with chronic neurological diseases. In six months, 56 patients with chronic neurological diseases were treated. Twenty of them had had a stroke, 8 due to amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and 28 Alzheimer Disease (AD). The complete caloric supply was reached in three-four days. Both of the groups received continous feeding infusion during hospitalisation. After the evaluation of nutritional status the patients received enteral nutrition (EN) by placement of a nasointestinal feeding tube or a Bergmark tube. Glycemia, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, electrolytes, glycosuria, glutamic-oxalacetic and glutamic pyruvic transaminase were monitored in all patients. Polymeric enteral feeding was administered by an infusion pump. Standard nourished patients (20/56) received a 30 kcal/kg/day support, the undernourished ones (22 low, 10 moderate, 4 high malnutrition) received a 35-40 kcal/kg support. Both of the groups received continous feeding infusion during hospitalisation. For the potients who continued the nutritional support at home (12/56) refeeding was performed only during the night. In the patients with stroke the optimal/standard weight was reached within one month. In patients with ALS the improvement of nutritional standards was reached within the first month and complete restoration within the second/third month. In patients with AD after 2 months the malnutrition is half than at the start of enteral nutrition. On the basis of our experience enteral nutrition is an effective refeeding procedure in elderly patients with chronic neurological disease.

Chronic neurological disease and enteral nutrition in elderly patients

LUCA, Salvatore;CAGLIA', Pietro;
2003-01-01

Abstract

Malnutrition is commonly considered an important risk factor that can produce a negative influence on the prognosis of elderly patients with chronic neurological diseases. In six months, 56 patients with chronic neurological diseases were treated. Twenty of them had had a stroke, 8 due to amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and 28 Alzheimer Disease (AD). The complete caloric supply was reached in three-four days. Both of the groups received continous feeding infusion during hospitalisation. After the evaluation of nutritional status the patients received enteral nutrition (EN) by placement of a nasointestinal feeding tube or a Bergmark tube. Glycemia, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, electrolytes, glycosuria, glutamic-oxalacetic and glutamic pyruvic transaminase were monitored in all patients. Polymeric enteral feeding was administered by an infusion pump. Standard nourished patients (20/56) received a 30 kcal/kg/day support, the undernourished ones (22 low, 10 moderate, 4 high malnutrition) received a 35-40 kcal/kg support. Both of the groups received continous feeding infusion during hospitalisation. For the potients who continued the nutritional support at home (12/56) refeeding was performed only during the night. In the patients with stroke the optimal/standard weight was reached within one month. In patients with ALS the improvement of nutritional standards was reached within the first month and complete restoration within the second/third month. In patients with AD after 2 months the malnutrition is half than at the start of enteral nutrition. On the basis of our experience enteral nutrition is an effective refeeding procedure in elderly patients with chronic neurological disease.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/52697
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