title: [Complications of continuous tube feeding in 110 internal medicine patients].
abstract: 110 patients aged 70.9 +/- 2.0 years were tube-fed over an averaged period of 24.5 +/- 4.3 days. The side-effects observed included diarrhea (8%), edema in dependent parts (7%), elevated blood glucose levels (2%), nausea and vomiting (3%), and esophagitis in the distal esophagus (2%). The primary finding in 12% of all placements was a potentially hazardous tube position unsuitable for alimentation. In all cases, the described side-effects could be well controlled or were transient in nature, and there were none severe enough to present a serious threat to the patient. Considering the overall treatment period of 2,683 days, tube-feeding when put into relation to the total cost of DM 31,360.-proves to be a less expensive and less hazardous alternative to parenteral nutrition.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000209:etiology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance
vernacular_title: Komplikationen der kontinuierlichen Sondenernährung bei 110 internistischen Patienten.