EVALUATION OF THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND RESULTS OF PATIENTS FOLLOWED IN THE PALLIATIVE CARE CENTER

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the nutritional status and results of the patients followed in the palliative care center. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 250 consecutive patients who were hospitalized in the palliative care center were included in this study. The patients were grouped according to their nutritional status during hospitalization and discharge. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients subjected to this study is 73±19.22 years. Out of these patients, 125 are female. The average daily calorie requirement of the patients was calculated as 1463.71±21.55 kcal/day, while the maximum tolerated calorie intake was determined to be 1030.54 ±320.54 kcal/day in our patient (P =0.039). No significant change was detected between the calculated calories and the calories consumed by diabetic individuals (P = 0.083). When the nutritional patterns were examined, it was determined that 51.60 % of the patients were orally fed at the time of admission to the palliative care center, the rate of patients fed with a Percutan gastrostomy (PEG)/Percutan jejunostomy (PEJ)/nasogastric tube was 32.05%, and 13.21% of the patients fed total parenteral nutrition (TPN). 67.06% of the patients were discharged with oral feeding, 30.53% with PEG/PEJ/nasogastric tube and 4 (2.39%) with long-term TPN feeding methods. When the patients were divided into percentages according to their calorie consumption, we found that the hospitalization day was significantly shorter in the group consuming 0-25 percentile calories (P = 0.021) but had a significantly higher rate of mortality (%71.42) (P=0.018). In the group with 50-75 percentile calorie intake, mortality was observed significantly at the lowest rate during hospitalization, with 14 (13.59%) patients. (P=0.003). Infections (28.57%) were significantly higher in the 0-25 group (P = 0.051). CONCLUSIONS: At palliative care centers, besides end-of-life management, all needs of patients should be identified. Instead of making strict calorie calculations, it is necessary to develop new nutritional goals compatible with all patients.