title: [A survey about the criteria for the indication of a gastrostomy in patients with advanced dementia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Decision making concerning patients with advanced dementia is complicated. The indication of a gastrostomy is among these hard decisions, especially considering that there is no consensus about its real benefit.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the criteria used by Chilean physicians to indicate a gastrostomy in patients with advanced dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire about the decision making to indicate a gastrostomy was delivered to 72 physicians working in public and private hospitals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey was answered by 43 physicians. Fifty one percent had indicated a gastrostomy to patients with advanced dementia in the last year, 79% believed that gastrostomy reduces the risk of aspiration pneumonia, 50% thought that gastrostomy helps in bed sore healing and 74% believed that gastrostomy improves survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of physicians who answered the survey think that gastrostomy will improve the health status of patients with advanced dementia.
authors.forename: María Bernardita
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Portales V
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002677:Chile; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000941:ethics*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires