RESUMO
In 2010, we at Konan Kosei Hospital introduced a menu with 8 days set as a cycle for inpatients undergoing chemotherapy. We have thus far used it for 258 patients. Over the 6-month period extending from October 2011 and March 2012, we performed a questionnaire survey on 23 patients (8 with lung cancer, 5 with acute myeloid leukemia and 3 with lymphoma) about their meals. On the basis of the findings, we have made a number of improvements in the menu. To the question of ease with which to eat, 96% of patients responded the meals were “easy to eat.” When it came to the volume of meals, 29% replied that breakfast was “small,” whereas 83% said lunch and dinner were “just right.” Cold chawan-mushi (custard-like egg and vegetable dish steamed in a cup) was difficult to eat for 7 patients, whereas there were indications that fish meals were also hard to eat. Based on this survey, we have increased the volume of breakfast, and replaced cold chawan- mushi with hot chawan-mushi. Furthermore, in order to reduce the smell peculiar to fish, we substituted kaba-yaki (spitchcocks) and ankake (food dressed with a thick, starchy sauce) fish- cooking styles for nitsuke (fish boiled and seasoned with sugar and soy sauce) and mushizakana (steamed fish) styles. Further surveys are necessary to produce a menu suitable for as many patients undergoing chemotherapy as possible.
RESUMO
The incidence of fever in children admitted to general hospitals is very high. Provision of adequate nutrition and fluid supplements to febrile children is very important, but with some children it is difficult to maintain an adequate intake. To address this problem, we devised a new ‘febrile children's menu’, utilizing preparation methods and foods to produce a palatable menu for patients with fever.<br> We introduced this ‘febrile children's menu‘ on January 6, 2011, providing it to 109 patients (age range: 1 to 8 years, average age: 3.3±1.9 years) over the ensuing 3-month period. We provided a mean 4.0±2.9 meals per day to each patient during their febrile stage (≥37.5°C). To evaluate the usefulness of the ‘febrile children's menu’, we investigated eating rates during the febrile period in all patients who had been provided with the menu, and performed a questiomaire survey on their parents/guardians. The mean eating rates during the febrile period were 39±30% for main meals, and 28±22% for side dishes. No significant difference was seen in the eating rates during the febrile period recorded over the 2-month period prior to introduction of the new menu to 112 febrile children (age range: 1 to 8 years, average age: 3.3±2.1 years), 39±30% for main meals, and 29±22% for side dishes. The questionnaire survey was responded by 43 parents/guardians (a recovery rate of 39%). The ‘febrile children's menu’ was assessed as ‘good’ by 67% of respondents, representing an overall favourable impression from the parents/guardians. With reference to the survey results, we will attempt to further improve the ‘febrile children's menu’ with the aim of increasing eating rates during the febrile period.