Impact of nutritional support on immunity,nutrition,inflammation,and outcomes in elderly gastric cancer patients after surgery

BACKGROUND Postoperative rehabilitation of elderly patients with gastric cancer has always been the focus of clinical attention.Whether the intervention by a full-course nutritional support team can have a positive impact on the postoperative immune function,nutritional status,inflammatory response,and clinical outcomes of this special population has not yet been fully verified.AIM To evaluate the impact of full-course nutritional support on postoperative comprehensive symptoms in elderly patients with gastric cancer.METHODS This is a retrospective study,including 60 elderly gastric cancer patients aged 70 years and above,divided into a nutritional support group and a control group.The nutritional support group received full postoperative nutritional support,including individualized meal formulation,and intravenous and parenteral nutrition supplementation,and was regularly evaluated and adjusted by a professional nutrition team.The control group received routine postoperative care.RESULTS After intervention,the proportion of CD4+lymphocytes(25.3%±3.1%vs 21.8%±2.9%,P<0.05)and the level of immunoglobulin G(12.5 G/L±2.3 G/L vs 10.2 G/L±1.8 G/L,P<0.01)were significantly higher in the nutritional support group than in the control group;the changes in body weight(-0.5 kg±0.8 kg vs-1.8 kg±0.9 kg,P<0.05)and body mass index(-0.2±0.3 vs-0.7±0.4,P<0.05)were less significant in the nutritional support group than in the control group;and the level of C-reactive protein(1.2 mg/L±0.4 mg/L vs 2.5 mg/L±0.6 mg/L,P<0.01)and WBC count(7.2×10^(9)/L±1.5×10^(9)/L vs 9.8×10^(9)/L±2.0×10^(9)/L,P<0.01)were significantly lower in the nutritional support group than in the control group.In addition,patients in the nutritional support group had a shorter hospital stay(10.3 d±2.1 d vs 14.8 d±3.6 d,P<0.05)and lower incidence of infection(15%vs 35%,P<0.05)in those of the control group.CONCLUSION The intervention by the nutritional support team has a positive impact on postoperative immune function,nutritional status,inflammatory response,and clinical outcomes in elderly patients with gastric cancer.

Improvement of the nutritional support management system for patients in intensive care units

BACKGROUND Nutritional support for patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit(ICU)is an important part of clinical treatment and care,but there are significant implementation difficulties.AIM To introduce a modified nutritional support management system for ICU patients based on closed-loop information management and psychological counseling.METHODS The division of functions,personnel training,system construction,development of an intelligent decision-making software system,quality control,and improvement of the whole process were carried out to systematically manage nutritional support for ICU patients.RESULTS Following the implementation of the whole process management system,the scores of ICU medical staff’s knowledge,attitudes/beliefs,and practices regarding nutritional support were comprehensively enhanced.The proportion of hospital bed-days of total enteral nutrition(EN)in ICU patients increased from 5.58%to 11.46%,and the proportion of EN plus parenteral nutrition increased from 42.71%to 47.07%.The rate of EN initiation within 48 h of ICU admission increased from 37.50%to 48.28%,and the EN compliance rate within 72 h elevated from 20.59%to 31.72%.After the implementation of the project,the Self-rating Anxiety Scale score decreased from 61.07±9.91 points to 52.03±9.02 points,the Self-rating Depression Scale score reduced from 62.47±10.50 points to 56.34±9.83 points,and the ICU stay decreased from 5.76±2.77 d to 5.10±2.12 d.CONCLUSION The nutritional support management system based on closed-loop information management and psychological counseling achieved remarkable results in clinical applications in ICU patients.

Nutritional Support under the Neuman Systems Model for Stroke Patients

Objective: To explore nutritional support under the Neuman systems model in treating dysphagia in stroke patients. Methods: In this retrospective study, we enrolled 97 patients with dysphagia after stroke admitted to our hospital, and randomly divided them into the Neuman group (n = 51) given nursing intervention based on Neuman systems model and a control group (n = 46) given routine nursing intervention. Both groups received nutritional support for 3 months. Nutritional indexes (serum total protein, plasma albumin, serum albumin, hemoglobin and transferrin levels) and immune indexes (immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgG, IgM and total lymphocyte count (TLC) in both groups were recorded and compared. Pulmonary function recovery, video fluoroscopic swallowing study score, water swallowing test score, complication rate, and health knowledge mastery level were also compared between the two groups. Results: After the intervention, the Neuman group showed less decrease in the nutritional and immune index scores (serum total protein, plasma albumin, hemoglobin, serum albumin;IgA, IgG, IgM, and TLC;all P Conclusion: For patients with stroke and dysphagia, comprehensive nursing intervention (e.g., nutritional support) under theNeuman systems model can promote the recovery of immune, swallowing, and pulmonary function, reduce complication incidence and facilitate comprehensive rehabilitation, ensuring adequate nutritional intake.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Alanyl-Glutamine for Nutritional Support in Septicemia

Objective:To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of alanyl-glutamine(Ala-Gln)in the nutritional support of sepsis.Methods:120 cases of sepsis patients admitted to the hospital in the past three years were selected and grouped by randomization method,Group A was treated with Ala-Gln,and Group B was treated with conventional nutritional support therapy,and the therapeutic effects were compared.Results:Before treatment,there was no difference in nutritional indexes,immune function indexes,and inflammatory factors between the two groups(P>0.05).After treatment,the nutritional indexes of Group A were higher than those of Group B,the immune function indexes were higher than those of Group B,and the inflammatory factors were lower than those of Group B(P<0.05).Except for mortality,the regression of group A was better than that of group B(P<0.05).Conclusion:Ala-Gln can improve the nutritional indexes of septicemia patients during the treatment period,enhance their immune function,reduce the inflammatory response of the body,and promote the regression of the disease.

Analysis of the Application Effect of Tracheal Stent Placement in the Nutritional Support Treatment of Tracheoesophageal Fistula

Objective:To evaluate and analyze the application effect of tracheal stent placement in nutritional support therapy for tracheoesophageal fistula.Methods:Clinical data of 32 patients who underwent nutritional support therapy for tracheoesophageal fistula in our hospital from September 2021 to September 2022 were collected,and all patients underwent tracheal silicone stenting,comparing dyspnea classification and Karnofsky score before and after stenting,and conducting post-treatment follow-up.Results:In 32 patients with tracheoesophageal fistula,dyspnea grading improved from grades III and IV to grades 0 to II.Before treatment,10 patients(31.06%)were in grade IV,17 patients(53.12%)were in grade III,and five patients(15.62)were in grade II;after treatment,13 patients(40.63%)were in grade I,12 patients(37.50%)were in grade I,and seven patients(21.87%)were in grade 0(P<0.05);Karnofsky score(37.52±4.86 before treatment)improved significantly to 71.39±8.24 one week after treatment(P<0.05).Nine patients with tracheoesophageal fistula were placed with silicone Y14-10-10 stent,11 with silicone 18-14-14 stent,three with silicone Y15-12-12,and seven with silicone stent 16-13-13.Conclusion:Silicone tracheobronchial stent placement for the treatment of tracheoesophageal fistula is technically feasible,simple,and safe,with reliable near-term efficacy,and is worthy of popularization and application.

Exploring choices of early nutritional support for patients with sepsis based on changes in intestinal microecology

BACKGROUND Sepsis exacerbates intestinal microecological disorders leading to poor prognosis.Proper modalities of nutritional support can improve nutrition,immunity,and intestinal microecology.AIM To identify the optimal modality of early nutritional support for patients with sepsis from the perspective of intestinal microecology.METHODS Thirty patients with sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit of the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University,China,between 2019 and 2021 with indications for nutritional support,were randomly assigned to one of three different modalities of nutritional support for a total of 5 d:Total enteral nutrition(TEN group),total parenteral nutrition(TPN group),and supplemental parenteral nutrition(SPN group).Blood and stool specimens were collected before and after nutritional support,and changes in gut microbiota,short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs),and immune and nutritional indicators were detected and compared among the three groups.RESULTS In comparison with before nutritional support,the three groups after nutritional support presented:(1)Differences in the gut bacteria(Enterococcus increased in the TEN group,Campylobacter decreased in the TPN group,and Dialister decreased in the SPN group;all P<0.05);(2)different trends in SCFAs(the TEN group showed improvement except for Caproic acid,the TPN group showed improvement only for acetic and propionic acid,and the SPN group showed a decreasing trend);(3)significant improvement of the nutritional and immunological indicators in the TEN and SPN groups,while only immunoglobulin G improved in the TPN group(all P<0.05);and(4)a significant correlation was found between the gut bacteria,SCFAs,and nutritional and immunological indicators(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION TEN is recommended as the preferred mode of early nutritional support in sepsis based on clinical nutritional and immunological indicators,as well as changes in intestinal microecology.

Multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment nutritional support intervention for gastrointestinal tumor radiotherapy:Impact on nutrition and quality of life

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal tumors are a major cause of cancer-related deaths and have become a major public health problem.This study aims to provide a scientific basis for improving clinical treatment effects,quality of life,and prognosis of patients with gastrointestinal tumors.AIM To explore the clinical effect of the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment(MDT)nutrition intervention model on patients with gastrointestinal tumors.METHODS This was a case control study which included patients with gastrointestinal tumors who received radiotherapy at the Department of Oncology between January 2021 and January 2023.Using a random number table,120 patients were randomly divided into MDT and control groups with 60 patients in each group.To analyze the effect of MDT on the nutritional status and quality of life of the patients,the nutritional status and quality of life scores of the patients were measured before and after the treatment.RESULTS Albumin(ALB),transferrin(TRF),hemoglobin(Hb),and total protein(TP)levels significantly decreased after the treatment.The control group had significantly lower ALB,TRF,Hb,and TP levels than the MDT group,and the differences in these levels between the two groups were statistically significant(P<0.05).After the treatment,the MDT group had significantly more wellnourished patients than the control group(P<0.05).The quality of life total score,somatic functioning,role functioning,and emotional functioning were higher in the MDT group than in the control group.By contrast,pain,fatigue,nausea,and vomiting scores were lower in the MDT group than in the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION MDT nutritional intervention model effectively improves the nutritional status and quality of life of the patients.The study provides a rigorous theoretical basis for improving the prognosis of cancer patients.In the future,we intend to provide additional treatment methods for improving the quality of life of patients with cancer.

Nutritional status efficacy of early nutritional support in gastrointestinal care: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal surgery is a complicated process used to treat many gastrointestinal diseases,and it is associated with a large trauma:Most patients often have different degrees of malnutrition and immune dysfunction before surgery and are prone to various infectious complications during postoperative recovery,thus affecting the efficacy of surgical treatment.Therefore,early postoperative nutritional support can provide essential nutritional supply,restore the intestinal barrier and reduce complication occurrence.However,different studies have shown different conclusions.AIM To assess whether early postoperative nutritional support can improve the nutritional status of patients based on literature search and meta-analysis.METHODS Articles comparing the effect of early nutritional support and delayed nutritional support were retrieved from PubMed,EMBASE,Springer Link,Ovid,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,China Biology Medicine databases.Notably,only randomized controlled trial articles were retrieved from the databases(from establishment date to October 2022).The risk of bias of the included articles was determined using Cochrane Risk of Bias V2.0.The outcome indicators,such as albumin,prealbumin,and total protein,after statistical intervention were combined.RESULTS Fourteen literatures with 2145 adult patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery(1138 patients(53.1%)receiving early postoperative nutritional support and 1007 patients(46.9%)receiving traditional nutritional support or delayed nutritional support)were included in this study.Seven of the 14 studies assessed early enteral nutrition while the other seven studies assessed early oral feeding.Furthermore,six literatures had"some risk of bias,"and eight literatures had"low risk".The overall quality of the included studies was good.Meta-analysis showed that patients receiving early nutritional support had slightly higher serum albumin levels,than patients receiving delayed nutritional support[MD(mean difference)=3.51,95%CI:-0.05 to 7.07,Z=1.93,P=0.05].Also,patients receiving early nutritional support had shorter hospital stay(MD=-2.29,95%CI:-2.89 to-1.69),Z=-7.46,P<0.0001)shorter first defecation time(MD=-1.00,95%CI:-1.37 to-0.64),Z=-5.42,P<0.0001),and fewer complications(Odd ratio=0.61,95%CI:0.50 to 0.76,Z=-4.52,P<0.0001)than patients receiving delayed nutritional support.CONCLUSION Early enteral nutritional support can slightly shorten the defecation time and overall hospital stay,reduce complication incidence,and accelerate the rehabilitation process of patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery.

Examining the impact of early enteral nutritional support on postoperative recovery in patients undergoing surgical treatment for gastrointestinal neoplasms

BACKGROUND Patients with gastrointestinal tumors often suffer from poor nutritional status during treatment.Surgery is the main treatment for these patients,but the long postoperative recovery period is often accompanied by digestive and absorption dysfunction,leading to further deterioration of the nutritional status.Early enteral nutrition support is hypothesized to be helpful in improving this situation,but the exact effects have yet to be studied in depth.AIM To observe the effect of early enteral nutritional support on postoperative recovery in patients with surgically treated gastrointestinal tract tumors,with the expectation that by improving the nutritional status of patients,the recovery process would be accelerated and the incidence of complications would be reduced,thus improving the quality of life.METHODS A retrospective analysis of 121 patients with gastrointestinal tract tumors treated in our hospital from January 2020 to January 2023 was performed.Fifty-three of these patients received complete parenteral nutrition support as the control group for this study.The other 68 patients received early enteral nutritional support as the observation group of this study.The clinical indicators comparing the two groups included time to fever,time to recovery of postoperative bowel function,time to postoperative exhaustion,and length of hospital stay.The changes in immune function and nutritional indexes in the two groups were compared.Furthermore,we utilized the SF-36 scale to compare the changes in the quality of life between the two groups of patients.Finally,the occurrence of postoperative complications between the two patient groups was also compared.RESULTS The postoperative fever time,postoperative bowel function recovery time,postoperative exhaustion time,and hospitalization time were all higher in the control group than in the observation group(P<0.05).The levels of CD3+,CD4+,immunoglobulin(Ig)A,IgM,and IgG in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group at 1 d and 7 d postoperatively,while CD8+was lower than in the control group(P<0.05).Total protein,albumin,prealbumin,and transferrin levels were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group at 7 d postoperatively(P<0.05).The SF-36 scores of patients in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.0001).The overall incidence of adverse reactions after the intervention was significantly lower in the control group than in the observation group(P=0.021).CONCLUSION We found that patients with gastrointestinal tumors are nutritionally vulnerable,and early enteral nutrition support programs can improve the nutritional status of patients and speed up postoperative recovery.This program can not only improve the immune function of the patient and protect the intestinal function,but it can also help to improve the quality of life of the patient.However,this program will increase the incidence of complications in patients.Caution should be taken when adopting early enteral nutrition support measures for patients with gastric cancer.The patient's condition and physical condition should be comprehensively evaluated and closely monitored to prevent possible complications.

Altered Nutrition State in the Severe Multiple Trauma Patients Undergoing Adjuvant Recombinant Human Growth Hormone Nutritional Support Therapy

In order to observe the nutrition state in the severe multiple trauma patients undergoing adjuvant recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) nutritional support therapy, 45 patients with severe multiple traumas (ISS>25) were randomly divided into 3 groups. All the 3 groups had been supplied with nitrogen and caloricity according to the need of patients for 16 days. The rhGH therapy started 48 h after surgery and lasted for 14 days in two rhGH-treated groups in which rhGH was 0.2 and 0.4 U/(kg·d) respectively, and the resting group served as control one. The levels of nitrogen balance, prealbumin and safety variables (blood sugar, Na+, TT3 and TT4) were observed and com- pared among the three groups. The levels of nitrogen balance on the postoperative day (POD) 3 and 5 in the rhGH-treated groups were -1.28±3.19, 5.45±2.00 and -0.18±2.55, 6.11±1.60, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group (-5.17±1.68 and -1.08±3.31, P<0.01). The values of prealbumin on the POD 3 and 5 in the rhGH-treated groups were 180.19±27.15, 194.44±50.82 and 194.94±29.65, 194.11±16.17, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group (117.42±19.10 and 135.63±28.31, P<0.01). There was no sig- nificant difference between the rhGH 0.2 U/(kg·d) group and rhGH 0.4 U/(kg·d) group in both of the levels of nitrogen balance and prealbumin. It is concluded that the nutritional support therapy with adjuvant rhGH which starts 48 h after surgery improves the nutrition state of the patients with severe multiple trauma. It is safe for severe multiple trauma patients who accept rhGH at the dose of 0.2 and 0.4 U/(kg·d).

Nutritional Support Treatment for Severe Chronic Hepatitis and Posthepatitic Cirrhosis

The therapeutic effectiveness of nutritional support in the treatment of severe chronic hepatitis and posthepatitic cirrhosis was evaluated. 143 patients with severe chronic hepatitis and 83 with posthepatitic cirrhosis were evaluated with SGA for assessing the nutritional status before the treatment. Patients with severe chronic hepatitis were divided into three groups： group A subject to enteral nutrition （EN） and parenteral nutrition （PN）, group B subject to comprehensive treatment （CT） ＋PN; group C subject to CT＋EN. The patients with posthepatitic cirrhosis were divided in- to two groups： group D receiving CT and group E receiving CT＋ PN ＋ EN. The function of liver and kidney and nutritional status were monitored to assess the therapy in 6 weeks. The results showed before treatment, over 90% patients had moderate to severe malnutrition. After nutritional support, the liver function （ALT, T-bil） and nutritional status （TP, TC） in group A was improved significantly as compared with that in groups B and C （P〈0.05）. Compared with group D, the values of TP and Alb were increased significantly in group E （P〈0. 05）, but the levels of ALT, AST and T-bil had no obvious change. It was suggested that most patients with severe chronic hepatitis or posthepatitic cirrhosis had malnutrition to varying degrees. The nutritional support treatment could obviously improve the nutritional status of these patients, and was helpful to ameliorate the liver function of the patients with severe chronic hepatitis. Among the methods of nutritional support treatment, PN combined with EN had the best effectiveness.

Relationship between Nutritional Support and Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes in West Bengal, India

Introduction: Poverty and poor nutrition are associated with the risk of developing tuberculosis (TB). Socioeconomic factors may interfere with anti-tuberculosis treatment compliance and its outcome. We examined whether providing nutritional support (monthly supply of rice and lentil beans) to TB patients who live below the poverty line was associated with TB treatment outcome. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of sputum smear-positive pulmonary TB patients living below the poverty line (income of <$1.25 per day) registered for anti-tuberculosis treatment in two rural districts of West Bengal, India during 2012 to 2013. We compared treatment outcomes among patients who received nutritional support with those who did not. A log-binomial regression model was used to assess the relation between nutritional support and unsuccessful treatment outcome (loss-to-follow-up, treatment failure and death). Results: Of 173 TB patients provided nutritional support, 15 (9%) had unsuccessful treatment outcomes, while 84 (21%) of the 400 not provided nutrition support had unsuccessful treatment outcomes (p < 0.001). After adjusting for age, sex and previous treatment, those who received nutritional support had a 50% reduced risk of unsuccessful treatment outcome than those who did not receive nutritional support (Relative Risk: 0.51;95% Confidence Intervals: 0.30 - 0.86). Conclusion: Under programmatic conditions, monthly rations of rice and lentils were associated with lower risk of unsuccessful treatment outcome among impoverished TB patients. Given the relatively small financial commitment needed per patient ($10 per patient per month), the national TB programme should consider scaling up nutritional support among TB patients living below the poverty line.

Effect of Nutritional Support on Treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis in Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh

Introduction: Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a public health crisis throughout the world including Bangladesh particularly due to its complexities in diagnosis, longer treatment regimen, and adverse drug reaction. Nutritional supplementation has significant impact on patient’s weigh gain and optimum weight gain is a biomarker of treatment response. The objective of this study was to measure body mass index (BMI) progress among MDR-TB patients in different phases of treatment. Methodology: A prospective observational study was conducted from March 2010 to July 2015 in Chest Disease Hospital (CDH), Rajshahi and different communities of Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. A total of 233 confirmed MDR-TB patients were selected from CDH who received treatment and nutritional support from ongoing national TB control program (NTP). They received free diagnosis, follow up tests, treatment and nutritional support as regular diet as well as cash amount Bangladeshi taka (BDT.) 1000 per month in CDH. Along with treatment, they also received only cash amount BDT. 1500 per month as nutritional support at community level. Weight measurement was taken at regular interval from enrollment to completion of treatment. Chi-square, paired t-test and linear regression analysis were used in this study. Results: The baseline prevalence of undernourished (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) was 82.4%. After two months of treatment, 14.5% underweight patients gained weight and reverted to normal BMI. Regression analysis showed the decreasing tendency of BMI progress with increasing age which was significant among male patients (p < 0.05). We observed reversely that patients gained more BMI in intensive phase than continuation phase of treatment. The cohort results demonstrated that the treatment success rate was lower (<83%) among initially underweight patients than their counterparts (>92%). Conclusion: Nutritional support has synergistic effect on treatment response. Adequate nutritional support with proper treatment would help to get better outcomes particularly at community level. Gender issue should also be addressed at household level.

A Cross-Sectional Study on Appetite, Nutritional Status and Nutritional Support of Hospitalized Patients

Objective: To understand the appetite and nutritional status of hospitalized patients in a tertiary A general hospital in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of appetite and nutritional status assessment on inpatients in 44 wards of the hospital was conducted. Taking all “conscious patients hospitalized for more than 48 hours” in the hospital on November 25, 2020 as the survey subjects, the patients’ appetite, dietary intake, nutrition and nutritional support in the past week were investigated. Results: A total of 890 cases were investigated, among which 25 cases (2.81%) with missing data were excluded, and thus 865 investigated cases were considered effective. The incidence of nutritional risk was 28.67%, malnutrition 13.29%, external tube feeding nutrition 3.24%, parenteral nutrition 7.05%, and oral nutritional supplement 10.40%. The average score of appetite assessment was (6.99 ± 2.43) points. Among them, cases with appetite assessment scores < 5 points accounted for 15.84%, and 52 patient cases utilized appetite-improving drugs. Among the 137 patients with appetite scores < 5, only 7 patients utilized appetite-improving drugs. The patients’ dietary self-evaluation scores were averagely (4.08 ± 1.16) points, and the daily intake compliance rate of patients was 85.78%. Appetite assessment score was correlated with dietary intake score (r = 0.548) and daily intake compliance rate (r = 0.263) (p < 0.01). The differences in body weight, BMI, grip strength, albumin, and hemoglobin concentration of patients with different appetite states were statistically different (p < 0.01). Appetite was an influencing factor of weight change (β = −0.079, p = 0.023). The difference between the appetite assessment scores and the daily intake compliance rates of patients with different nutritional support methods was statistically significant (p < 0.05);the individualized diet group had the highest appetite assessment score (8.57 ± 1.70), while the parenteral nutrition group had the lowest appetite assessment score (4.90 ± 2.99);the individualized diet group had the highest daily intake rate of 100%, followed by the parenteral nutrition group with 96.72%, and the regular diet group had the lowest rate of 84.02%. Conclusion: The appetite of hospitalized patients is closely related to nutritional status, and therefore, attention should be paid to the appetite status and nutritional status of hospitalized patients. Inpatients with different nutritional support methods should be given individualized appetite and nutritional interventions.

The problems of nutritional support for head and neck malignant tumor patients undergoing radiotherapy

Nutritional support is a vital approach to improve symptoms of head andneck cancer, which are caused by radiotherapy. Although nutritional supporthas rapid progress, it could appear a variety of problems in nutritionaltreatment for head and neck cancer patients during radiotherapy. It is introducedthat how to implement nutritional support for head and neck cancerpatients during radiotherapy. It is more important to analyze the problemsin nutrition assessment and nutrition support and intervention. It could bedesigned more convenient nutrition assessment system and try to find outmore sufficient and effective nutrition markers. It also needs to enhancethe nutrition education for patients and their family. In addition to, it couldbe more work to do in oral, nasal feeding and gastrostomy nutrition supplementationand parenteral nutrition support and intervention. Thus, it isa long way to make nutritional support be better in head and neck cancerpatients during radiotherapy.

Application of Nutritional Support in the Comprehensive Treatment of Gastric Cancer: A Case Report

Objective To relieve long-term malnutrition caused by a malignant tumor affecting the pylorus and to prolong the patient survival.Methods A patient presented with complete pyloric obstruction due to pyloric tumors,and achieved good therapeutic effects through nutritional support and effective chemotherapy.Results After about 40 days of treatment,all physiological indicators were improving.After chemotherapy,the pyloric tumor shrank and the complete obstruction was relieved.The patient was able to eat and drink normally.Conclusion Nutritional support,combined with chemotherapy,may effectively treat complete pyloric obstruction caused by advanced tumors.

Nutritional support teams increase percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy uptake in motor neuron disease

AIM:To examine factors influencing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy(PEG) uptake and outcomes in motor neuron disease(MND) in a tertiary care centre.METHODS:Case notes from all patients with a confirmed diagnosis of MND who had attended the clinic at the Repatriation General Hospital between January 2007 and January 2011 and who had since died,were audited.Data were extracted for demographics(age and gender),disease characteristics(date of onset,bulbar or peripheral predominance,complications),date and nature of discussion of gastrostomy insertion,nutritional status [weight measurements,body mass index(BMI)],date of gastrostomy insertion and subsequent progress(duration of survival) and quality of life(QoL) [Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised(ALSFRS-R)].In addition,the type of clinician initiating the discussion regarding gastrostomy was recorded as Nutritional Support Team(involved in providing nutrition input viz Gastroenterologist,Speech Pathologist,Dietitian) and other(involved in non-nutritional aspects of patient care).Factors affecting placement and outcomes including length of survival,change in weight and QoL were determined.RESULTS:Case records were available for all 86 patients(49 men,mean age at diagnosis 66.4 years).Thirty-eight patients had bulbar symptoms and 48 had peripheral disease as their presenting feature.Sixty-six patients reported dysphagia.Thirty-one patients had undergone gastrostomy insertion.The major indications for PEG placement were dysphagia and weight loss.Nine patients required immediate full feeding,whereas 17 patients initially used the gastrostomy to supplement oral intake,4 for medication administration and 1 for hydration.Initially the PEG regime met 73% ± 31% of the estimated total energy requirements,increasing to 87% ± 32% prior to death.There was stabilization of weight in patients undergoing gastrostomy [BMI at 3 mo(22.6 ± 2.2 kg/m 2) and 6 mo(22.5 ± 2.0 kg/m 2) after PEG placement compared to weight at the time of the procedure(22.5 ± 3.0 kg/m 2)].However,weight loss recurred in the terminal stages of the illness.There was a strong trend for longer survival from diagnosis among MND in PEG recipients with limb onset presentation compared to similar patients who did not undergo the procedure(P = 0.063).Initial discussions regarding PEG insertion occurred earlier after diagnosis when seen by nutrition support team(NST) clinicians compared to other clinicians.(5.4 ± 7.0 mo vs 11.9 ± 13.4 mo,P = 0.028).There was a significant increase in PEG uptake(56% vs 24%,P = 0.011) if PEG discussions were initiated by the NST staff compared to other clinicians.There was no change in the ALSFRS-R score in patients who underwent PEG(pre 34.1 ± 8.6 vs post 34.8 ± 7.4),although in non-PEG recipients there was a nonsignificant fall in this score(33.7 ± 7.9 vs 31.6 ± 8.8).Four patients died within one month of the procedure,4 developed bacterial site infection requiring antibiotics and 1 required endoscopic therapy for gastric bleeding.Less serious complications attributed to the procedure included persistent gastrostomy site discomfort,poor appetite,altered bowel function and bloating.CONCLUSION:Initial discussion with NST clinicians increases PEG uptake in MND.Gastrostomy stabilizes patient weight but weight loss recurs with advancing disease.

A cross-sectional analysis of the effectiveness of a nutritional support programme for people with tuberculosis in Southern Madagascar using secondary data from a non-governmental organisation

Background There is a strong,bi-directional link between tuberculosis(TB)and undernutrition:TB often causes undernutrition,and undernourished people are more likely to contract TB and experience worse outcomes.Globally,several TB nutritional support programmes exist;however,evidence on their effectiveness is limited and contested.This study evaluates the effect of a nutritional support programme implemented for people with TB in the Atsimo-Andrefana region,Madagascar in 2022.Within this programme,undernourished people with TB[with a body mass index(BMI)of<18.5 kg/m]receive 0.6 L of vegetable oil and 6.0 kg of a soy-wheat blend per month throughout their TB treatment.Methods We analysed secondary non-governmental organisation data collected between January and Novem-ber 2022 in the Atsimo-Andrefana region,Southern Madagascar,including information on an individual's medical conditions(e.g.,type of TB,treatment outcomes)and nutritional status measured prior to,during,and after comple-tion of treatment(e.g.,height,weight,mid-upper arm circumference).We conducted descriptive analyses of patient baseline characteristics and outcomes to assess the impact of the provided nutritional support on the BMI of people With TB.Results A total of 1310 people with TB were included in the study[9.9%(130)children under the age of 5,32.1%(420)children between 5 and 18 years,58.0%(760)adults].55.4% of children under 5,28.1% of children between ages 5 and 18,and 81.3%of adults were undernourished at treatment initiation.42.3%(55/130)of children under 5 experi-enced severe acute malnutrition at treatment uptake.While the average BMl of adults with TB receiving food support increased over time,from 17.1 kg/m^(2)(interquartile range:15.8-18.3,range:10.3-22.5)to 17.9 kg/m^(2)(interquartile range:16.6-19.1,range:11.9-24.1),most adults remained undernourished even after completing TB treatment.Conclusions The current TB nutritional support programme falls short of sufficiently increasing the BMl of people with TB to overcome malnutrition.There is an urgent need to revise the nutritional support available for people with TB,particularlyfor children under 5.

Advancements in nutritional diagnosis and support strategies during the perioperative period for patients with liver cancer

Liver cancer represents a grave hepatic condition and constitutes a significant global health concern.Surgical resection remains the principal therapeutic modality for liver cancer.Nevertheless,perioperative malnutrition exerts a notable impact on patients with liver cancer,emerging as an independent risk factor for disease mortality and adverse outcomes.Hence,precise nutritional diagnosis and timely nutritional support hold the potential to enhance therapeutic efficacy and quality of life for liver cancer patients.This study represents a meticulous foray into the literature,extracting data from PubMed,Web of Science,and EMBASE databases,with a focus on the past 5 years.It scrutinizes the impact of malnutrition on patients undergoing liver cancer surgery,the etiological underpinnings of malnutrition within this patient cohort,the critical assessment of perioperative nutritional status,and the strategic approaches to nutritional support.Utilizing rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria,the amassed scholarly works are meticulously synthesized,methodically organized,and categorically elaborated upon.Ultimately,the authors propose the incorporation of a multidisciplinary nutrition management team during the perioperative period,comprising nutritionists,pharmacists,physicians,nurses,psychologists,and rehabilitation therapists,among other specialized professionals.Together,they collaborate to devise and implement personalized nutritional support plans,monitor patients’nutritional status,and make necessary adjustments as required.Through comprehensive management and intervention,improvements in the nutritional status of liver cancer patients can be achieved,thereby enhancing surgical success rates and facilitating postoperative recovery.It is believed that this manuscript will offer valuable insights to advance the nutritional management during the perioperative phase of liver cancer,aiding in ameliorating patients'nutritional status and treatment outcomes.