Home enteral nutrition in patients with neurological disease in an area of the southeast of Spain

Abstract

Introduction: malnutrition in patients with neurological disease is very prevalent, worsening their complications and diminishing their quality of life. For that reason, nutritional support can provide a reduction in comorbidities. Over the past years, in Murcia (southeast of Spain), a clinical pathway has been stablished in accordance to the National Home Enteral Nutrition guide (HEN) to optimize this resource and reduce the prescription gap. Objective: to analyze the HEN characteristics in neurological patients in an area of Murcia, before and after the adequacy of the national recommendations. Method: observational cross-sectional study. Analysis and comparison of HEN in health area no. 1 in Murcia in 2010 and 2014. Results: the most prevalent cause for HEN was neurological disease. In 2010, oral nutrition was the most used way compared with 2014, when it had changed to enteral nutrition through feeding tube or ostomy. Non-specific formula was the most frequently used in 2010. However, after the establishment of the clinical pathway there was a reduction in specific enteral formula use, specially hypercaloric and hyperproteic. Conclusions: the implementation of a clinical pathway according to the National HEN guide has caused a change in the reality of artificial nutrition in health area no. 1 in Murcia (Spain), which means a standardization of its use under unified criteria made by specialized professionals. Finally, due to these results, this clinical pathway has been generalized to the rest of the region.