title: Clinical Factors of Enteral Tube Feeding in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to identify possible clinical factors associated with enteral tube feeding use and duration in acute ischemic stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 410 acute ischemic stroke patients were reviewed. Brain lesions were classified into nine regions of interest according to the cerebral vascular system. Brain lesion volume, lesion side, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, type of feeding during admission, and demographic characteristics were compared between enteral tube feeding and non-enteral tube feeding groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 410 patients, 61 used enteral feeding tubes. The mean age, NIHSS score, and brain lesion volume were significantly higher in the tube group than the nontube group (P < 0.001). Of the nine regions of interest, the right and left middle cerebral artery areas were strongly correlated with enteral tube feeding (P < 0.001). The NIHSS scores were significantly related to the duration of tube feeding (P < 0.05). The NIHSS consciousness subscores were significantly higher in the tube feeding group than in the non-tube feeding group (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older age, lesions in the middle cerebral artery territory, and larger lesions were identified as significant risk factors of enteral tube feeding. Especially, the NIHSS consciousness subscore needs to be evaluated precisely because it was the factor most closely related to the implementation and duration of enteral tube feeding.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jayoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Don-Kyu
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Si Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Kyung Mook
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Seo
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors