Feeding alternatives in patients with dementia: examining the evidence

The association between acupuncture therapy and the risk of reduced pressure ulcers in dementia patients: A retrospective matched cohort study

Background

The pressure ulcer is a complication developed from dementia. The aim of this study is to study the association between the development of pressure ulcers and the use of acupuncture therapy in patients with dementia.

Methods

We performed a retrospective 1:1 propensity score-matched cohort study to investigate the association between acupuncture therapy and the risk of pressure ulcers in patients with dementia.

Results

A total of 8,994 patients were identified, 237 patients in the acupuncture cohort and 362 patients in the no-acupuncture cohort developed pressure ulcers. A reduced cumulative incidence of pressure ulcers was observed in the acupuncture cohort (P<0.001). The association between acupuncture and reducing the incidence of pressure ulcers was not affected by sex, age, residence, income, or comorbidities. The variables of etiologies to cause dementia did not change the final result. In the subgroups analyses, the patients without medication for dementia control had a significantly lower rate of pressure ulcers development when they had accepted acupuncture therapy (log-rank test, P<0.001).

Conclusion

Our results revealed the association between acupuncture therapy and a reduced incidence of pressure ulcer development in patients with dementia. This finding offers important ideas for further research.

Tube Feeding in Individuals with Advanced Dementia: A Review of Its Burdens and Perceived Benefits

Background

Dementia remains a growing concern for societies globally, particularly as people now live longer. About 90% of individuals with advanced dementia suffer from eating problems that lead to general health decline and ultimately impacts upon the physical, psychological, and economic wellbeing of the individuals, caregivers, and the wider society.

Objective

To evaluate the burdens and perceived benefits of tube feeding in individuals with advanced dementia.

Design

Narrative review.

Methods

Computerized databases, including PubMed, Embase, Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar were searched from 2000 to 2019 to identify research papers, originally written in or translated into English language, which investigated oral versus tube feeding outcome in individuals with advanced dementia.

Results

Over 400 articles were retrieved. After quality assessment and careful review of the identified articles, only those that met the inclusion criteria were included for review.

Conclusion

Tube feeding neither stops dementia disease progression nor prevents imminent death. Each decision for feeding tube placement in individuals with advanced dementia should be made on a case-by-case basis and involve a multidisciplinary team comprising experienced physicians, nurses, family surrogates, and the relevant allied health professionals. Careful considerations of the benefit-harm ratio should be discussed and checked with surrogate families if they would be consistent with the wishes of the demented person. Further research is required to establish whether tube feeding of individuals with advanced dementia provides more burdens than benefits or vice-versa and evaluate the impacts on quality of life and survival.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Indications, care and complications

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is an effective and safe method for nutritional support in patients with malnutrition and impossibility of oral intake with an estimated survival higher than the months that require enteral nutrition beyond four weeks. The main indications include neoplasms of the upper air-digestive tract and neurological diseases, with dementia currently considered a controversial indication. Anatomical alterations and infectious diseases are the most frequent contraindications. There are different endoscopic techniques; the most widely used being the "pull" method, with a low mortality. Complications are more frequent in patients with multiple pathologies and the elderly. Wound infection, extraction of the tube, tube blockage and bronchoaspiratory pneumonia are the most prevalent complications. Adequate prior preparation of the patient and exhaustive maintenance of the tube can reduce the appearance of these.

Survival times with and without tube feeding in patients with dementia or psychiatric diseases in Japan

BACKGROUND

It is widely supposed that there has been no evidence of increased survival in patients with advanced dementia receiving enteral tube feeding. However, more than a few studies have reported no harmful outcome from tube feeding in dementia patients compared to in patients without dementia.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study. Nine psychiatric hospitals in Okayama Prefecture participated in this survey. All inpatients fulfilling the entry criteria were evaluated. All subjects suffered from difficulty with oral intake. Attending physicians thought that the patients could not live without long-term artificial nutrition. The physicians decided whether to make use of long-term artificial nutrition between January 2012 and December 2014.

RESULTS

We evaluated 185 patients. Their mean age was 76.6 ± 11.4 years. Of all subjects, patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (n = 78) formed the biggest group, schizophrenia patients (n = 44) the second, and those with vascular dementia (n = 30) the third. The median survival times were 711 days for patients with tube feeding and 61 days for patients without tube feeding. In a comparison different types of tube feeding, median survival times were 611 days for patients with a nasogastric tube and more than 1000 days for those with a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube.

CONCLUSION

Patients with tube feeding survived longer than those without tube feeding, even among dementia patients. This study suggests that enteral nutrition for patients with dementia prolongs survival. Additionally, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube feeding may be safer than nasogastric tube feeding among patients in psychiatric hospitals.

Heterogeneity of patients receiving artificial nutrition in Japanese psychiatric hospitals: a cross-sectional study

AIM

Artificial nutrition, including tube feeding, continues to be given to dementia patients in numerous geriatric facilities in Japan. However, the clinical characteristics of patients receiving artificial nutrition have not been fully investigated. Therefore, we tried to evaluate the clinical features of those patients in this study.

METHODS

Various clinical characteristics of all inpatients at 18 of 20 psychiatric hospitals in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, with a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube, nasogastric tube, or total parenteral nutrition were evaluated.

RESULTS

Two hundred twenty-one patients (5.4% of all inpatients) had been receiving artificial nutrition for more than 1 month, and 187 (130 women, 57 men; 84.6% of 221 patients) were fully investigated. The mean age was 78.3 years old, and the mean duration of artificial nutrition was 29.8 months. Eighty-four patients (44.7% of 187 patients) were receiving artificial nutrition for more than 2 years. Patients with Alzheimer's disease (n = 78) formed the biggest group, schizophrenia (n = 37) the second, and vascular dementia (n = 26) the third.

CONCLUSION

About one-fifth of the subjects receiving artificial nutrition were in a vegetative state. More than a few patients with mental disorders, including schizophrenia, also received long-term artificial nutrition. We should pay more attention to chronic dysphasia syndrome in mental disorders.

Long-Term Survival of Patients Receiving Artificial Nutrition in Japanese Psychiatric Hospitals

Background/Aims

Most patients with dementia suffer from dysphagia in the terminal stage of the disease. In Japan, most elderly patients with dysphagia receive either tube feeding or total parenteral nutrition.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the factors determining longer survival with artificial nutrition. Various clinical characteristics of 168 inpatients receiving artificial nutrition without oral intake in psychiatric hospitals in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, were evaluated.

Results

Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the duration of artificial nutrition was associated with a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube, diagnosis of mental disorder, low MMSE score, and absence of decubitus.

Conclusion

Patients with mental disorders survived longer than those with dementia diseases on artificial nutrition. A PEG tube and good nutrition seem to be important for long-term survival.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy for nutritional support in dementia patients

BACKGROUND

A link between aging, dementia and malnutrition is established and leads to poor prognosis. Endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is used without clear benefit on survival, nutritional status or quality of life.

AIMS

This work aims to assess the effectiveness of PEG-feeding for nutritional support in patients with dementia.

METHODS

We conducted an observational, longitudinal and retrospective study using records from patients with moderate-severe dementia that underwent PEG. Age, gender, dementia subtype and mortality were considered. Body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, transferrin and total cholesterol were recorded at the time of the PEG procedure (T0) and repeated after 3 months (T3). The evolution of those parameters was analysed and compared to survival.

RESULTS

We obtained data from 46 patients (16 men/30 women) between 50 and 94 years (M = 79 years). Most had Alzheimer's. Mean survival was 21 months. Mortality rate at 3 months was 15 %. At T0, 30 patients were undernourished according to BMI and 29, 31 and 16 patients displayed low albumin, transferrin and total cholesterol, respectively. Albumin (p < 0.01) and transferrin levels (p < 0.05) were significantly increased from T0 to T3. High albumin (r = 0.2), transferrin (r = 0.3) and cholesterol (r = 0.1) at T0 were positively correlated with longer survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Low albumin, transferrin and cholesterol were predictors of a poor survival. PEG improves low albumin and transferrin, serum markers of malnutrition and poor outcome. PEG should be considered on an individual basis in patients with moderate-severe dementia when risk of malnutrition and aspiration is present.

Oral Feeding Reduces Hospitalizations Compared with Gastrostomy Feeding in Infants and Children Who Aspirate

OBJECTIVE

To compare the frequency of hospitalization rates between patients with aspiration treated with gastrostomy vs those fed oral thickened liquids.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective review was performed of patients with an abnormal videofluoroscopic swallow study between February 2006 and August 2013; 114 patients at Boston Children's Hospital were included. Frequency, length, and type of hospitalizations within 1 year of abnormal swallow study or gastrostomy tube (g-tube) placement were analyzed using a negative binomial regression model.

RESULTS

Patients fed by g-tube had a median of 2 (IQR 1, 3) admissions per year compared with patients fed orally who had a 1 (IQR 0, 1) admissions per year, P < .0001. Patients fed by gastrostomy were hospitalized for more days (median 24 [IQR 6, 53] days) vs patients fed orally (median 2 [IQR 1, 4] days, [P < .001]). Despite the potential risk of feeding patients orally, no differences in total pulmonary admissions (incidence rate ratio 1.65; 95% CI [0.70, 3.84]) between the 2 groups were found, except patients fed by g-tube had 2.58 times (95% CI [1.02, 6.49]) more urgent pulmonary admissions.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who underwent g-tube placement for the treatment of aspiration had 2 times as many admissions compared with patients with aspiration who were fed orally. We recommend a trial of oral feeding in all children cleared to take nectar or honey thickened liquids prior to g-tube placement.

Challenges in efficacy research: the case of feeding alternatives in patients with dementia

AIMS

To explore factors at the family caregiver and nursing home administrative levels that may affect participation in a clinical trial to determine the efficacy of hand feeding vs. percutaneous gastrostomy tube feeding in persons with late-stage dementia.

BACKGROUND

Decision-making regarding use of tube feeding vs. hand feeding for persons with late-stage dementia is fraught with practical, emotional and ethical issues and is not informed by high levels of evidence.

DESIGN

Qualitative case study.

METHODS

Transcripts of focus groups with family caregivers were reviewed for themes guided by behavioural theory. Analyses of notes from contacts with nursing home administrators and staff were reviewed for themes guided by an organizational readiness model. Data were collected between the years 2009-2012.

RESULTS

Factors related to caregiver willingness to participate included understanding of the prognosis of dementia, perceptions of feeding needs and clarity about research protocols. Nursing home willingness to participate was influenced by corporate approval, concerns about legal and regulatory issues, and prior relationships with investigators.

CONCLUSION

Participation in rigorous trials requires lengthy navigation of complex corporate requirements and training competent study staff. Objective deliberation by caregivers will depend on appropriate recruitment timing, design of recruitment materials and understanding of study requirements. The clinical standards and policy environment and the secular trends there-in have relevance to the responses of people at all levels.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: indications, technique, complications and management

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is the preferred route of feeding and nutritional support in patients with a functional gastrointestinal system who require long-term enteral nutrition. Besides its well-known advantages over parenteral nutrition, PEG offers superior access to the gastrointestinal system over surgical methods. Considering that nowadays PEG tube placement is one of the most common endoscopic procedures performed worldwide, knowing its indications and contraindications is of paramount importance in current medicine. PEG tubes are sometimes placed inappropriately in patients unable to tolerate adequate oral intake because of incorrect and unrealistic understanding of their indications and what they can accomplish. Broadly, the two main indications of PEG tube placement are enteral feeding and stomach decompression. On the other hand, distal enteral obstruction, severe uncorrectable coagulopathy and hemodynamic instability constitute the main absolute contraindications for PEG tube placement in hospitalized patients. Although generally considered to be a safe procedure, there is the potential for both minor and major complications. Awareness of these potential complications, as well as understanding routine aftercare of the catheter, can improve the quality of care for patients with a PEG tube. These complications can generally be classified into three major categories: endoscopic technical difficulties, PEG procedure-related complications and late complications associated with PEG tube use and wound care. In this review we describe a variety of minor and major tube-related complications as well as strategies for their management and avoidance. Different methods of percutaneous PEG tube placement into the stomach have been described in the literature with the "pull" technique being the most common method. In the last section of this review, the reader is presented with a brief discussion of these procedures, techniques and related issues. Despite the mentioned PEG tube placement complications, this procedure has gained worldwide popularity as a safe enteral access for nutrition in patients with a functional gastrointestinal system.

Religion and United States physicians' opinions and self-predicted practices concerning artificial nutrition and hydration

This study surveyed 1,156 practicing US physicians to examine the relationship between physicians' religious characteristics and their approaches to artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH). Forty percent of physicians believed that unless a patient is imminently dying, the patient should always receive nutrition and fluids; 75 % believed that it is ethically permissible for doctors to withdraw ANH. The least religious physicians were less likely to oppose withholding or withdrawing ANH. Compared to non-evangelical Protestant physicians, Jews and Muslims were significantly more likely to oppose withholding ANH, and Muslims were significantly more likely to oppose withdrawing ANH.

Pneumonia and encephalopathy in a patient with progressing Parkinson's disease and dementia

The aging of the US population poses complex management issues for the health care provider in the acute and subacute setting. Although management guidelines exist to guide the treatment of individual disease processes, addressing goals of care in an aging patient with multiple comorbidities requires conversations unique to each patient and family. This case study examines the care of a patient with Parkinson's disease, dementia, and pneumonia admitted to the intensive care unit for altered mental status and metabolic encephalopathy. The pathophysiology and management of Parkinson's disease, dementia, community-acquired pneumonia, and dysphagia will be reviewed.

Reducing complications in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

This article reviews the principal aspects related to sedation in endoscopy and to the prevention of adverse events in some of the most frequently performed therapeutic upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopic procedures (esophageal dilation and stenting, endoscopic resection of upper GI early neoplasia, hemostasis of upper GI bleeding and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy insertion). These procedures have an inherent risk of negative outcomes that cannot be entirely avoided. Endoscopic procedures are best performed by well-trained, competent and thoughtful endoscopists in facilities suited to provide for patient safety. Attention to clinical risk management may effectively reduce the frequency and intensity of adverse events, enhance recognition and early detection, and improve responsiveness.

Ethical issues in nutrition support of severely disabled elderly persons: a guide for health professionals

Providing or withholding nutrition in severely disabled elderly persons is a challenging dilemma for families, health professionals, and institutions. Despite limited evidence that nutrition support improves functional status in vulnerable older persons, especially those suffering from dementia, the issue of nutrition support in this population is strongly debated. Nutrition might be considered a basic need that not only sustains life but provides comfort as well by patients and their families. Consequently, the decision to provide or withhold nutrition support during medical care is often complex and involves clinical, legal, and ethical considerations. This article proposes a guide for health professionals to appraise ethical issues related to nutrition support in severely disabled older persons. This guide is based on an 8-step process to identify the components of a situation, analyze conflicting values that result in the ethical dilemma, and eventually reach a consensus for the most relevant plan of care to implement in a specific clinical situation. A vignette is presented to illustrate the use of this guide when analyzing a clinical situation.

Artificial nutrition and hydration: the evolution of ethics, evidence, and policy

INTRODUCTION

The debate over use of artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) in terminal illness, including advanced dementia, remains contentious despite extensive ethical and empirical investigation.

METHODS

For this narrative review we undertook a focused, selective review of literature reflecting ethical analysis, empirical assessment of outcomes, legal responses, and thinking within the Roman Catholic religious tradition.

RESULTS

The history of the debate over the past 60 years results from a complex interplay of ethical concerns, a growing empirical database, legal changes, public opinion, and financial as well as institutional concerns. Discussions of ANH today are often conducted without any understanding of this historical context.

DISCUSSION

Patients' interests could be better protected through remedial action at both the individual and the policy levels.

Biological observation during the daytime of elderly patients with advanced dementia cared for with and without artificial nutrition by percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

AIM

To clarify the activity of demented patients cared for with and without artificial nutrition in a care facility, sequential biological observation was applied using electroencephalograms (EEG), electromyograms (EMG) and electro-oculograms (EOG).

METHODS

Awake and sleep patterns and spontaneous swallowing were measured during the daytime in 13 patients with advanced dementia who could orally intake meals (OR patients), and 13 patients with advanced dementia, who received artificial nutrition by percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG patients).

RESULTS

The awake/sleep pattern fluctuated during daytime in OR and PEG patients, but a fully awake state was relatively preserved around meal times in OR patients. The number of spontaneous swallowing was small in PEG patients (0.1 ± 0.3/h), and the value correlated with the Barthel Index in OR patients.

CONCLUSION

Continuous recording of biological activity in demented patients could be informative in providing an overview of their activities. The present results disclosed that meal times were the limited periods keeping OR patients awake consistently, while there was no opportunity for such periods for PEG patients. The number of spontaneous swallowing was especially small in PEG patients, although low Mini-Mental State Examination and Barthel Index scores and poor awake state during daytime were considerable in those patients.

The practice of gastrostomy tube placement across a Canadian regional health authority

OBJECTIVES

We sought to conduct an assessment of the practice of gastrostomy (G) tube placement across an entire city, which would reflect usual clinical care as compared with referral center practice.

METHODS

We reviewed and retrospectively extracted data from patient records for all percutaneous endoscopic G (PEG) and radiological percutaneous G (RPG) tube placements at six Winnipeg hospitals between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2007.

RESULTS

A total of 418 patients had G tubes (376 PEG, 42 RPG) inserted during the study period. The most common indications were cerebrovascular accidents (25%), head and neck cancer (23%), and head trauma (10%). The position of the external bolster was not documented in 38% of patients. The median time to the first complication was 10 days, initiation of feeding was 48 hours, and tube removal was 40 days. Complications developed in 102 (24%) patients. Patients with RPG tubes had more infections and were less likely to receive prophylactic antibiotics (P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, complications were more likely to occur in patients with RPG tubes and after insertions by lowest procedure volume physicians. Overall mortality was 12% within 30 days of G-tube placement. Death of one patient was directly related to peritonitis after G-tube insertion.

CONCLUSIONS

In usual clinical practice, there is an underuse of prophylactic antibiotics and a delay in the institution of nutritional support after G-tube placement. A small but significant proportion of patients may develop major complications, with associated risk of mortality. The higher complication rate after procedures performed by lowest volume physicians needs further evaluation.

Effect of physician education and patient counseling on inpatient nonsurgical percutaneous feeding tube placement rate, indications, and outcome

BACKGROUND

The decision to place a percutaneous feeding tube (PFT) in patients who are at the end of life is multidimensional and often complicated. We assessed the effect of physician education and counseling for patients and their surrogates on inpatient nonsurgical (endoscopic and radiologic) PFT placement rates, indications, complications, and mortality.

METHODS

In a pre-paid group practice, a geriatrician initiated a program of physician education and patient/surrogate counseling on the ethical and nutritional aspects of long-term enteral feeding. We compared rates of nonsurgical PFT placement (excluding those for cancer therapy or gastric decompression), indications, complications, and short- and long-term mortality in adult inpatients before (2004) and after (2005) the program.

RESULTS

In 2004 and 2005, 115 and 60 inpatients underwent PFT placement, respectively. The annual number of hospital admissions was similar, but the rate of PFT placement declined (0.80% vs. 0.44%, P < 0.0001). The indications were cerebrovascular accident (42 [37%] versus 22 [37%]), dementia (15 [13%] versus 3 [5%]), other neurological disease (28 [24%] versus 16 [26%]), and miscellaneous disease (30 [26%] versus 19 [32%]); P > 0.05. Severe infectious complications occurred in 4 (3%) versus 0 (0%) patients, P > 0.05. Mortality (2004 versus 2005) at 30 days (23 [20%] versus 11 [18%]), 1 year (62 [54%] versus 29 [48%]) and 2 years (72 [63%] versus 31 [52%]) was similar, P > 0.05.

CONCLUSION

A pilot program of educating referring physicians and counseling patients and their surrogates reduced the rate of inpatient PFT placement by nearly 50%. Indications, severe complications and short- and long-term mortality remained unchanged.

[Oropharyngeal dysphagia and aspiration]

Oropharyngeal dysphagia, or inability to swallow liquids and/or solids, is one of the less well known geriatric syndromes, despite its enormous impact on functional ability, quality of life and health in affected individuals. The origin of oropharyngeal dysphagia can be structural or functional. Patients with neurodegenerative or cerebrovascular diseases and the frail elderly are the most vulnerable. The complications of oropharyngeal dysphagia are malnutrition, dehydration and aspiration, all of which are serious and provoke high morbidity and mortality. Oropharyngeal aspiration causes frequent respiratory infections and aspiration pneumonias. Antibiotic therapy must cover the usual microorganisms of the oropharyngeal flora. Oropharyngeal dysphagia should be identified early in risk groups through the use of screening methods involving clinical examination of swallowing and diagnostic confirmation methods. The simplest and most effective therapeutic intervention is adaptation of the texture of the solid and the viscosity of the liquid.

[Approach to dysphagia in advanced dementia]

From the onset, dementia affects the patient's nutritional status, producing anorexia, weight loss, feeding apraxia and dysphagia. Distinct strategies are required in each of the stages of this disease, starting with awareness and knowledge of the problem and its prompt detection. In dementia, dysphagia usually appears in advanced phases, when the patient is often institutionalized. When dysphagia is suspected, the patient's tolerance must be evaluated by the volume/viscosity test, environmental and postural strategies should be introduced, and the texture of the diet should be modified. This is a complex task requiring the involvement of a properly trained interdisciplinary team, able to provide information and alternatives and integrate the family environment in the patient's care. The adapted diet should be based on the traditional diet that can also be combined with artificial supplements to provide a varied diet that increases patients', caregivers' and relatives' satisfaction. Tube feeding has shown no nutritional benefits in patients with advanced dementia. Therefore, we propose assisted oral feeding as the most natural and appropriate form of feeding in these patients, always respecting their previously expressed wishes.

Senescent swallowing: impact, strategies, and interventions

The risk for disordered oropharyngeal swallowing (dysphagia) increases with age. Loss of swallowing function can have devastating health implications, including dehydration, malnutrition, pneumonia, and reduced quality of life. Age-related changes increase risk for dysphagia. First, natural, healthy aging takes its toll on head and neck anatomy and physiologic and neural mechanisms underpinning swallowing function. This progression of change contributes to alterations in the swallowing in healthy older adults and is termed presbyphagia, naturally diminishing functional reserve. Second, disease prevalence increases with age, and dysphagia is a comorbidity of many age-related diseases and/or their treatments. Sensory changes, medication, sarcopenia, and age-related diseases are discussed herein. Recent findings that health complications are associated with dysphagia are presented. Nutrient requirements, fluid intake, and nutrition assessment for older adults are reviewed relative to dysphagia. Dysphagia screening and the pros and cons of tube feeding as a solution are discussed. Optimal intervention strategies for elders with dysphagia ranging from compensatory interventions to more rigorous exercise approaches are presented. Compelling evidence of improved functional swallowing and eating outcomes resulting from active rehabilitation focusing on increasing strength of head and neck musculature is provided. In summary, although oropharyngeal dysphagia may be life threatening, so are some of the traditional alternatives, particularly for frail, elderly patients. Although the state of the evidence calls for more research, this review indicates that the behavioral, dietary, and environmental modifications emerging in this past decade are compassionate, promising, and, in many cases, preferred alternatives to the always present option of tube feeding.

Dysphagia in stroke and neurologic disease

Dysphagia is a common problem in neurologic disease. The authors describe rates of dysphagia in selected neurologic diseases, and the evaluation and treatment of dysphagia in this population. Applicable physiology and aspects of neural control are reviewed. The decision-making process to determine oral feeding versus alternative means of alimentation is examined.