home enteral nutrition prescribed in infanta cristina university hospital in badajoz (spain)

Aim: To know the real practice of Home Enteral Nutrition at the Nutrition Unit of Infanta Cristina University Hospital in Badajoz for 12 months and, secondarily, to compare it with data published from other national and international centres. Methods: Retrospective, observational and descriptive study of the patients visited by the Nutrition Unit concerning Home Enteral Nutrition for 12 consecutive months. Results: The number of patientes older than 14 with Home Enteral Nutrition during the 12 months of the study was 176 (52% males). Mean age was 71.3 years (17-104) and mean duration of nutritional support was 10 months (307.16 days), with death as the most common cause of finishing it (78.2%). Neurological disease was the most commonly registered cause, in 97 patients (55.1%), followed by neoplastic disease in 55 (31.3%). The most common access route was nasogastric tube (69.3%), followed by gastrostomy (14.2%) and per os (10.8%). 42.05% of the patients had limited activity and 30.1% were bed-to-chair; 73.3% required complete or partial help. Nutritional formula was suplied from Pharmacy offices, while material was given in Primary Care to 74.8% of the patients and in Hospital to the rest. Conclusion: The number of patients registered has been increased comparing with the previous years, but differences from other national and international registries remain.