ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 1998 February;157(1):1-4

Copyright © 1998 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Enteral nutrition in patients with low energy requirements

Orban A., Celona A.

IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo (Foggia), Servizio Dietologia e Nutrizione Artificiale

Enteral nutrition with polymeric diets in patients which need calories close to BEE (cerebral vascular pathologies, neurological pathologies with motor deficit) can provoke a nutritional deficiency since protein concentrations, minerals and salts have been studied for patients requiring greater energy. Enteral nutrition with a polymeric diet (1394±136 calories) was applied to sixteen patients (10 cerebral vascular pathologies, 2 Alzheimer, 2 cerebral neoplasia, 1 Parkinson, 1 SLA, age 69±7 years) with BEE 1204±107 calories and initial signs of malnutrition. The nutritional state after 3 months of enteral nutrition did not improve, sideropenic anemia was accentuated and 4 patients developed decubitis ulcer. For patients undergoing enteral nutrition with polymeric diets and with low energy requirements, a supplementary integration of proteins, minerals and salts is required to avoid malnutrition.