The impact of home enteral nutrition planned with the use of indirect calorimetry on the nutritional status and body composition of cancer patients
Studies show that malnutrition is common among cancer patients, ranging from about 20% to more than 70%. It is known that malnutrition that is not managed properly worsens the course of the disease, prolongs the hospital stay, and impacts the quality of life and treatment toxicities.
Malnutrition has many negative effects, therefore individualization and optimization of nutritional support is crucial for the patient's health. This study aimed to assess the impact of home enteral nutrition (HEN) planned with the use of indirect calorimetry on the nutritional status and body composition of cancer patients.
This prospective, observational study included 28 patients with cancer recruited at the Nutrition Clinic of Department of General, Gastroenterologic and Oncologic Surgery, of the Medical University of Warsaw from December 2021 to December 2022. All patients were supported with HEN setup based on individual caloric needs for 3 months.
To define the proper type and quantity of commercial enteral formulas during the classification process all individuals had resting energy expenditure (REE) measured by indirect calorimetry (Q-NRG calorimeter, COSMED, Italy).
The results of our research highlight the significance of well-planned nutritional care for cancer patients. Utilizing HEN and individualized approaches can effectively preserve body mass, composition, and nutritional status while minimizing safety risks, ultimately improving quality of life. Indirect calorimetry if available can be helpful to optimize nutrition care for patients with cancer in HEN.
Article details:
- Title: The impact of home enteral nutrition planned with the use of indirect calorimetry on the nutritional status and body composition of cancer patients
- Authors: Izabela Jałocha, Michał Ławiński, Katarzyna Zadka, Maima Matin, Aneta Jachnis, Anna Ukleja, Anna Charuta, Jarosław O. Horbańczuk, Maciej Słodkowski, Atanas G. Atanasov.
- Published in: Current Research in Biotechnology - VOLUME 7, 2024.
- DOI: 10.1016/j.crbiot.2023.100160
