Expectations and outcomes of gastric feeding tubes.
OBJECTIVE
To compare expected outcomes with actual outcomes from tube feeding in adult patients.


METHODS
This prospective cohort study was conducted in two North Carolina hospitals. Surrogates were interviewed shortly after feeding tube insertion and at 3- and 6-month follow-up; chart abstraction and death certificate review also were carried out. Participants were surrogate decision-makers for consecutive adult patients who received new feeding tubes.


RESULTS
There were 288 patients with surrogate decision-makers enrolled. Mean age was 65 years; 30% had a primary diagnosis of stroke, 16% neurodegenerative disorder, 20% head and neck cancer, and 30% other diagnoses. At 3 months, 21% of patients had died, and 6-month mortality was 30%. At 3 months, 38% of survivors were residing in a nursing home, and 27% had the feeding tube removed. Patients were impaired in most activities of daily living (ADLs) with little change over time. Medical complications were common: 25% of patients had decubitus ulcers at 3 months, and 24% had at least one episode of pneumonia. Perceived global quality of life was poor at 4.6 (on a 0-10 scale) at baseline, and surrogates anticipated this would improve to 8.0 with tube feeding. Family surrogates' expectations for improvement from the feeding tube were very high at baseline and remained so at 3 and 6 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Families' high expectations of benefit from tube feeding are in contrast to clinical outcomes. Providers and families need better information about the outcomes of this common procedure.
Carey
Timothy S
TS
The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7590, USA. tim_carey@unc.edu
Hanson
Laura
L
Garrett
Joanne M
JM
Lewis
Carmen
C
Phifer
Nancy
N
Cox
Christopher E
CE
Jackman
Anne
A
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003644:Death Certificates; D003657:Decision Making; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome