Plasma levels of amino acids in elderly long term care residents with oropharyngeal dysphagia: comparison of hand-oral with tube-enteral-fed patients.
BACKGROUND
Dysphagia and eating difficulties are highly prevalent in long term care patients. Evaluation of their nutritional status is complicated by comorbidity, frailty and individual patterns of feeding. In previous studies we found vitamin deficiencies (folic acid B6 and B12) in orally fed elderly in early stages of oropharyngeal dysphagia despite satisfactory nutritional parameters (BMI, albumin and hemoglobin). The aim of this study is to evaluate the plasma amino acids levels in these hand-oral fed elderly patients with dysphagia.


METHODS
Plasma amino acids were measured in 15 orally fed elderly patients in early functional outcome swallowing scale (FOSS), stage 2, and compared with those of 15 matched nasogastric-tube-fed counterparts.


RESULTS
The plasma levels of all measured amino acids, ratio of essential to nonessential, levels of conditionally essential and the immune-enhancing amino acids were similar in both groups and within the normal range of our laboratory. The traditional nutritional parameters were also similar in both groups and within the normal range.


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma levels of amino acids in elderly patients in early stage of FOSS are satisfactory, supporting the view that their protein intake is adequate. Further studies should concentrate on patients in advanced stages of FOSS.
Leibovitz
A
A
Shmuel Harofe Hospital, Geriatric Medical Center, Beer-Yaakov, Israel. shmuelh@netvision.net.il
Sela
B
B
Zlotnik
J
J
Baumohel
Y
Y
Segal
R
R
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000451:nursing / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control
D000596:Amino Acids; D004044:Dietary Proteins