title: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy--its application in patients with neurological disease.
abstract: We performed percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in 30 patients with prolonged swallowing difficulty (> 4 weeks duration). The average procedure time was 25 minutes. PEG insertion was done on an outpatient basis in four patients. The complication rate was 10% and included failed insertion, peristomal infection and herniation of the gastric mucosa at the gastrostomy exist site. At follow-up, the PEG tube continued to function in 18/22 of the surviving patients with a median in-use time of 85 days. Seven patients died from their original disease. Over a 28-day period, the weight gain among the patients ranged from 3kg to 7kg (mean 4.5kg) and average serum albumin increased from 29g/dl to 35g/dl. This confirms that PEG is a safe, easy and effective method of long-term enteral feeding in patients with neurological disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Meath Hospital, Dublin.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sant
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gilvarry
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shannon
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Morain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005773:Gastroscopy / Q000379:methods; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications; D015996:Survival Rate