Usefulness of semi-solid medical foods administered after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

Background: Even if preoperative enteral nutrition is administered without any issues, some patients suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., vomiting and diarrhea) after initiating gastrostomy feeding. Because of the amino acid composition and limited amount of lipids, elemental diets may reduce the risk of gastrointestinal symptoms. However, elemental diets are expensive. Semi-solid medical foods are inexpensive and more closely mimic normal physiology than elemental diets. The aim of the present study was to investigate the usefulness of semi-solid medical foods when administered after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).Method: This retrospective study analyzed 91 patients who had PEG performed by the author who was the attending physician. All patients received preoperative enteral nutrition with liquid nutrients, and there were no instances of gastrointestinal symptoms before PEG tube placement. The types of nutrients administered after PEG were divided into three categories: semi-solid medical foods (n = 20), polymeric formulas (n = 26), and elemental diets (n = 45). The incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms was compared among the three groups.Results: No gastrointestinal symptoms occurred in the semi-solid medical foods group; the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the semi-solid medical foods group was significantly lower than that of the polymeric formulas group [0% vs. 26.9% (7/26), p 0.05] and was similar to that of the elemental diets group [0% vs. 2.2% (1/45), p = 1].Conclusion: If preoperative enteral nutrition is administered without any issues, semi-solid medical foods are useful as nutrients administered after PEG tube placement.

Risk Factors for Gastrointestinal Symptoms post Enteral Nutrition Initiation via a Gastrostomy Tube

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) facilitates long-term enteral nutrition. However, parenteral nutrition prior to PEG tube placement can cause impaired gastrointestinal function. Additionally, upon initiation of enteral feeding via a PEG tube, some patients suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea), which reduce their quality of life and increase the nursing workload.Method: This retrospective study included 155 patients upon whom the author performed PEG as the attending physician. Enteral nutrition was started through the PEG tube on the third day after its placement. The following characteristics were analyzed: age, gender, indications for PEG, preoperative enteral nutrition, administered liquid nutrients, daily dosage of nutrients, serum albumin levels, serum alanine aminotransferase levels, serum creatinine levels, serum hemoglobin levels, and vomiting or diarrhea within seven days after the initiation of PEG feeding. A logistic regression model was used to identify the risk factors contributing to gastrointestinal symptoms, and three variables were sequentially introduced into the model—preoperative non-enteral nutrition, hypoalbuminemia, and administration of non-elemental diets.Results: Vomiting and diarrhea occurred in 10 and 15 patients, respectively. There were significant differences in administered nutrients and serum albumin levels between patients with and without gastrointestinal symptoms. Multivariate analysis revealed that the adjusted odds ratios for administration of non-elemental diets and serum albumin level ≤3.2 g/dL were 8.05 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.66–24.4; p 0.001) and 3.81 (95% CI: 1.33–10.9; p 0.05), respectively.Conclusion: The administration of non-elemental diets and a serum albumin level ≤3.2 g/dL were significant risk factors.