title: Effect of nutritional support on terminally ill patients with cancer in a palliative care unit.
abstract: The role of nutritional support on terminally ill patients with cancer in a palliative care unit has not been clarified. A total of 63 patients were retrospectively investigated; the patients receiving individualized nutritional support (intervention group [n = 22]) were compared to the others (control group [n = 41]). The intervention group received individualized nutritional support. There were no significant differences in the characteristics of patients between the groups. The prevalence of bedsores was significantly lower in the intervention group (14% vs 46%, P = .012). The prevalence of edema and the use of antibiotic therapies tended to be lower in the intervention group than in the control group (36% vs 54%, P = .19; 14% vs 27%, P = .34, respectively). Some terminally ill patients with cancer in a palliative care unit might benefit from nutritional support.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Palliative Care, Palliative Care Team and Nutrition Support Team, Saito-Yukoukai Hospital Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: Muneyoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Minako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Moeko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wakayama
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D018529:Nutritional Support; D010166:Palliative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019452:Terminally Ill