RESUMO
Background: The use of gastrostomy tubes for long-term nutritional support in older patients is frequent. Percutaneous gastrostomy tube placement may be performed using various techniques, including endoscopic, surgical, and radiologically-guided methods. While percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement is the most widely used and accepted approach, experience with the use of percutaneous radiological gastrostomy (PRG) is more limited. Objective: To evaluate the safety and short-term outcomes of PRG in older patients requiring long-term enteral feeding. Method: We performed a prospective study involving all patients aged 65 years and older who underwent PRG insertion at the Laniado hospital over a period of 2 years. Adverse events related to the gastrostomy tube insertion were recorded over a period of 3 months following the procedure. Results: A total of 58 patients were included with a mean age of 78.1 years, and 48% were women. The most frequent indications for enteral feeding were stroke (47%) and dementia (41%). The technical success rate was 100% with no immediate procedure-related mortality or morbidity. One-month mortality was 3%, and overall mortality at 3-month follow-up was 16%. Complications were reported in 39 (67%) of patients, with 17 (29%) experiencing more than 1 complication. While most complications (88%) were minor, major complications occurred in 19 (33%) of the patients. Peritonitis was the cause of death in 2 patients, and tube dislodgment occurred in 17 subjects. During the follow-up period 17 (29%) of patients were re-admitted to hospital, with the cause for re-hospitalization being unrelated to the PRG in half of the cases. Neither bleeding nor deep wound infection was detected in the study group. Conclusions: PRG is relatively safe and effective for gastrostomy placement in older patients, and this technique may be of value in patients with oral infections and those receiving anti-thrombotic therapy.
RESUMO
To determine the impact of nutritional status and risk factors for undernutrition based on the changes in functional outcomes and rehabilitation success, defined as the ability of older adults to return as close as possible to their original functional state. Retrospective cohort study among 107 rehabilitation patients, aged ≥65 y. Data included demographics, Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ), reported weight, Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), and Cumulative Illness Rating-Scale for Geriatrics (CIRS-G). Rehabilitation success was determined by delta-FIM. Higher vs. lower functioning patients were younger, had shorter hospitalization, and lower CIRS-G score with higher mean MMSE. Delta-FIM was significantly higher in patients with low malnutrition risk (SNAQ): 14.2 ± 10.5 vs. 6.9 ± 13.9 in undernourished patients, those who did not lose weight 14.5 ± 10.5 vs. 5.6 ± 12.8 in patients who lost weight with normal dietary intake, normal albumin, and lower CIES-G. Patients who achieved functional independence, FIMDC ≥90, ate normally and experienced less "appetite loss" [40.5% vs. 68.4%; P = 0.048]. Weight loss was the strongest negative predictor of delta-FIM (B = -9.094; P = 0.007). To conclude, nutritional status, mainly weight change, is an independent negative predictor for rehabilitation success.
