title: Enteral nutrition via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and nutritional status of patients: five-year prospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since it was described in 1980, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) has been a widely used method for insertion of a gastrostomy tube in patients who are unable to swallow or maintain adequate nutrition. The aim of the present paper was to determine the complications of PEG insertion and to study pre- and post-procedural nutritional status.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the period of March 1999-September 2004, placement of PEG tube was performed in 85 patients (22 women and 63 men). Patient nutritional status was assessed before and after PEG insertion via anthropometric measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most frequent indication for PEG insertion was neurological disorders (65.9%). Thirty patients died due to primary disease and two patients due to PEG-related complications within 5 years. There were 14 early complications in 10 patients (15.2%; <30 days), and 18 late complications in 12 patients (19.6%). Total mortality was 37.6%. All complications other than four were minor. Before PEG insertion, patients were assessed with subjective global assessment and it was determined that 43.2% of them had severe, and 41.9% of them had mild malnutrition. After PEG insertion, significant improvements on patient nutrition levels was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is a minimally invasive gastrostomy method with low morbidity and mortality rates, is easy to follow up and easy to replace when clogged.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey. aerdil@gata.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erdil
authors.forename: Mendane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saka
authors.forename: Yuksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ates
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tuzun
authors.forename: Sait
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bagci
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uygun
authors.forename: Zeki
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yesilova
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gulsen
authors.forename: Necmettin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karaeren
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dagalp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D020776:Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D016896:Treatment Outcome