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Continuous Compared With Intermittent Tube Feeding in the Elderly

1992; Wiley; Volume: 16; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1177/0148607192016006525

1941-2444

Jerry O. Ciocon, Daisy Galindo‐Ciocon, Charlotte Tiessen, Diana Galindo,

Child Nutrition and Water Access

The methods of continuous (C) and intermittent (I) nasogastric tube feedings in 60 patients, 54 men and 6 women, with a mean age of 72 ± 9 years were compared in terms of number of complications, staff time used, and caloric intake. Patients were randomly assigned between these two methods and followed for 7 days. Diarrhea, aspiration pneumonia, clogged tubes, and self‐extubation were observed in both groups. Diarrhea was significantly more frequent (96% of 30 patients) in the I group than the C group (66% of 30 patients) (p <.008). Furthermore, diarrhea was more prolonged (4 days or more) in 64% of 30 patients in the I group than the C group (4 days or more) in 58% of 30 patients (p <.02). However, clogged tubes occurred 3 times more often in the C group ( p <.01). Self‐extubation and aspiration pneumonia tend to be more frequent in the I group but the difference was not significant. The average time used by staff nurses in the maintenance of NGT feedings was not significantly longer in the I group (48.45 ± 11 min/patient per day) than the C group (46.46 ± 11 min/ patient per day). In the C group the mean calories recommended were 2248 ± 36 kcal/day but the actual caloric intake was only 1465 ± 281 kcal/day, a deficiency of 783 ± 291 kcal/day. The recommended calorie count for the I group was 2021 ± 5 kcal/ day but the amount delivered was only 1226 ± 254 kcal/day, which resulted in a deficit of 795 ± 259 kcal/day. This difference in calories recommended and actually delivered in the C and I groups was not significant. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 16: 525–528, 1992)