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Clinical nutrition

A retrospective analysis on epidemiological characteristics of home enteral nutrition: results from a Chinese tertiary hospital in 2018

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 75, pages 473–479 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Background

The use of home enteral nutrition (HEN) has increased enormously. HEN has been shown to decrease length of stays, improve clinical outcomes, and increase quality of life. Literature on HEN epidemiology has also sprouted recently. Nevertheless, studies on Chinese HEN users are hardly seen. The objective of this study was thus to describe the epidemiological characteristics of HEN users from a Chinese tertiary hospital in 2018.

Methods

Data were retrospectively analyzed using the personal patient profiles we created upon each HEN initiation. In the year of 2018, 2007 patients and a cumulative total of 3375 episodes were recorded.

Results

The median age was 61 (IQR 46–75) years, and 63 (IQR 49–75) for males and 55 (IQR 43–72) for females. The most frequent indication for HEN implementation was oncological diseases (35.8%), followed by digestive diseases (13.4%), and neurological diseases (9.0%). Overall, 90.0% of the episodes were prescribed for oral nutrition supplement (ONS) and 9.5% for tube feeding (TF). Majority (70.8%) of the episodes comprised standard commercial formula.

Conclusions

Our study revealed some fundamental epidemiological characteristics of Chinese HEN patients. This preliminary single-center study has multiple limitations but still possesses revelatory and referential significance for other Chinese practitioners in the field of HEN. In future, multicenter studies and qualified HEN registries are widely needed in China.

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Fig. 1: Selection and exclusion process.
Fig. 2: Number of episodes in different age range.
Fig. 3: Patient origins.
Fig. 4: Number of episodes with diagnosis.
Fig. 5: Types of formula prescribed.
Fig. 6: Episodes with energy range.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Nutrition, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

    Qian You, Xuemei Li, Ya Ma, Lei Shi & Wen Hu

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  1. Qian You
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Correspondence to Wen Hu.

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You, Q., Li, X., Ma, Y. et al. A retrospective analysis on epidemiological characteristics of home enteral nutrition: results from a Chinese tertiary hospital in 2018. Eur J Clin Nutr 75, 473–479 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-00755-8

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