title: Home enteral nutrition in patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
abstract: 14 patients in advanced stages of HIV infection (1 ARC, 13 AIDS; sex: 1 female, 13 male; age 37.8 +/- 6.3 years; body mass index (BMI): 17.4 +/- 2.4 kg/m(2)) were followed prospectively while receiving home enteral nutrition (observation period: 62 +/- 75 days). Artificial nutrition was indicated because of severe weight loss (9-38 kg within 6-48 months, n = 7) or cerebral toxoplasmosis with eating and swallowing disorders (n = 7). In all patients a defined formula diet (175 +/- 17.7 kJ/kg body weight) was administered through an endoscopically placed gastrostomy tube (PEG). Home enteral nutrition was well tolerated by all patients and no significant PEG-related complications occurred. Enteral nutrition resulted in significant increases in body weight (p < 0.005), body cell mass (BCM, p < 0.05), total body fat (TBF, p < 0.005), serum albumin concentration (p < 0.05), and serum total iron-binding capacity (transferrin, p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Home enteral nutrition via PEG is safe and well tolerated in patients with advanced HIV-related immunodeficiency and is capable of improving nutritional state including BCM.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Klinische Immunologie und Transfusionsmedizin, Zentrum Innere Medizin, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, D 3000 Hannover 61, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Süttmann
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Selberg
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schlesinger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gebel
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Manns
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Deicher