Home artificial nutrition in a specialized adult clinical nutrition center: overview 2011
- Scanzano, Clelia
- Iacone, Roberto
- Alfonsi, Lucia
- Santarpia, Lidia
- Negro, Gabriella
- Pastore, Emiliano
- Iervolino, Maurizio
- Pagano, Maria Carmen
- Galeotalanza, Maria Rosaria
- Sgambati, Donatella
- De Caprio, Carmela
- Vozza, Antonietta
- Pasanisi, Fabrizio
- Contaldo, Franco
Introduction:
This study aims to provide an overview on adult patients on home artificial nutrition followed in 2011 at the Clinical Nutrition Unit of the Federico II University Hospital in Naples, Italy.
Patients and methods:
Six hundred forty-eight patients (303 men, 345 women) aged 16–97 years on home artificial nutrition in 2011 were evaluated. Four hundred fifty-five were new patients and 193 were already in regular follow-up.
Results:
Two hundred ninety-eight patients (219 new) were on home parenteral nutrition, 70 (54 new) on home enteral nutrition, and 280 (182 new) received oral nutritional supplements. Among patients receiving oral nutritional supplements, the female frequency (56.8%, n=159) was significantly higher than the male frequency (43.2%, n=121), mostly due to the presence of a high number of young patients with anorexia nervosa. Delivered products covered 14,772 days of treatment for home parenteral nutrition, 7,057 days for home enteral nutrition, and 16,021 days for oral nutritional supplements (considering a mean of 2 units daily per patient) for a total of 37,850 home artificial nutrition days. Average daily costs per patient were € 71.00, € 12.00 and € 4.00, respectively.
Conclusions:
Our data confirm that home artificial nutrition has a positive impact on health care costs and may improve patients' quality of life. Our center turns out to be mainly specialized in the follow-up of patients with anorexia nervosa and benign chronic intestinal failure. Moreover, it takes a strong interest in the care of cancer patients before and during radio- or chemotherapy or in the terminal phase of their disease.