title: Occurrence of complications and survival rates in elderly with neurological disorders undergoing enteral nutrition therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the occurrence of complications, as well as the survival rates, in elderly people having neurological diseases and undergoing enteral nutrition therapy (ENT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients aged over 60 years, assisted by a home medical service from a healthcare plan in the city of Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil, were thoroughly evaluated. The mentioned evaluation occurred at their homes after hospital discharge with enteral nutrition (EN) after a three-month period, a six-month period, and at the end of the study. A nutritional assessment was performed along with data collection performed on the patients' electronic medical records, and interviews performed with patients' family members and caregivers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-nine patients aged 82.9 ± 10.4 years old were evaluated; of these, 49.4% presented dementia, and 50.6% presented other neurological diagnoses. 100% of patients presented a high dependence level, assessed by the Katz index. The majority of patients (91.2%) presented some complications such as: pneumonia, catheter loss, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, fluid leakage, periostotomy, tube obstruction, reflux, and myiasis. Pneumonia was the most frequent complication, occurring in 55.9% of cases. The mortality rates were 15.2% at a three-month period, 22.8% at a six-month period, and 43% at the end of study. The median survival after starting EN was 364 days. Differences among the mortality rate and neurological diagnosis, EN routes of access, and complications were not observed. The survival rate was lower in patients having inadequate nutritional status and albumin levels < 3.5 mg/dL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The population followed presented a high rate of complications and death at the end of the study. Diagnosis of dementia, EN routes of access, as well as complications, did not influence the survival rates. However, inadequate nutritional status according to the clinical assessment and albumin levels lower than 3.5 mg/dL significantly influenced the survival rates.
authors.affiliation: UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. alinestang@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Aline Stangherlin
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Nilton Alves de
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Rezende
authors.forename: Henrique Oswaldo da Gama
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000209:etiology; D015996:Survival Rate