Abstract
The aims of this study were to assess the adequacy of the caloric and protein intake of patients on tube feeding in Soba University Hospital, and to investigate some of the associated factors.
All adult patients (≥18years) on tube feeding admitted to the hospital between April 2005 to January 2006, for at least 3days or more were included in this study. Their mean ages were 60±16 years and the majority (53.5%) was 60 years and above {elderly}. 101 patients (59 Males and 42 Females) participated. The majority of the patients duration of stay ranged between 3-5 days, (66%).
The methods used in this study included: questionnaires, anthropometric measurement (MUAC), clinical data and dietary assessment.
Nutritional status measurements showed that, more than half of the patients were malnourished (57.4%) with up to 28.7% severely malnourished. During the period of the study, it was found that Soba University Hospital
provided two types of tube feeding diet: normal diet distributed to 35.6% and therapeutic diets distributed to 64.3% of the total sample of patients investigated.
The therapeutic diets in this study included diabetic diet (low CHO) (7%), low salt diet (36.6%) and free protein /high CHO (18.8%). The study found that 37.6% of the patients were severely underfed (<50% of required energy), 44.6% of patients’ intake can be classified underfed (90%-50 % of required energy) according to Passmore. 63.4% of the patients were also severely underfed according to Passmore’s recommendations for protein. This data indicated that tube-feeding therapy, provided by this hospital, does not meet the patient’s energy and protein requirements.
Inconsistency between requirements and the diet offered by the hospital probably contributed significantly to the high percentage of the underfed patients in this hospital. Further studies are required to investigate the causes of these differences.
Elderly, limited duration of stay, living in Khartoum State and malnutrition were found to be the most significant associated factors with low rate of energy and protein intake (p<0.05).
The hospital must pay more attention to patients receiving feeding with tube to reach their optimal requirements through considering the diet of each patient on individual bases according to his/ her specific needs.
