Cost-analysis of nutrition support in patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to assess the preferred route of nutrition support (enteral versus parenteral) for treatment of severe acute pancreatitis in the acute care setting. Further, in cases when enteral nutrition is the preferred route, is nasal-bridling a lower-morbidity and cost-effective method? DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A retrospective review of pre-existing data from an 870-bed hospital system. Medical records were reviewed via an online database system (n = 25 patients) with severe acute pancreatitis. Length of stay and cost were analyzed. FINDINGS: More patients received TPN versus the nasal-jejunal (post-pyloric) tube feeds group. No significant relationship was found between total cost and number of co-morbidities or between either of the two treatment groups. However, a medium to large effect size was shown which could indicate a significant relationship in a larger sample size. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The findings of this research add to the literature already available and will be of interest to those who specialize in this area.

Validity and reliability of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire measuring n-3 fatty acid intakes in cardiac patients in the Midwest: a validation pilot study.

The purpose of this pilot study was to test the validity and reliability of a quantitative n-3 fatty acid food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for later use with larger groups of individuals. A convenience sample of heart patients provided dietary data via three 24-hour food recalls and FFQs. Participants were women (n=17) and men (n=11), 43 to 77 years of age. The association of mean daily intake of n-3 fatty acids obtained using food recalls and the FFQ was assessed by Pearson correlation. The reliability of the FFQ was assessed using coefficient alpha. Correlation of n-3 fatty acid intake using the food recalls and the FFQ was r=0.42 (P<0.05). The coefficient alpha for the test-retest of the FFQ was .83. The top two foods, walnuts and flaxseed, contributed 58% of the n-3 fatty acid intake, and the third food, salmon, contributed 5%. This quantitative n-3 FFQ is a valid instrument for use in place of food recalls for estimating n-3 fatty acid intakes in heart patients and is a reliable instrument to estimate n-3 fatty acid intakes from plant, animal, and seafood sources. The FFQ should be tested in a larger population. Registered dietitians can use this FFQ to screen for intakes, educate patients on food sources, and measure change in intakes after nutrition intervention.