Change in Tube Feeding Practice may Improve Nutrition for ICU Patients
While the importance of enteral nutrition (EN), or feeding patients through a tube, in an intensive care unit is well understood, underfeeding is still common.
While the importance of enteral nutrition (EN), or feeding patients through a tube, in an intensive care unit is well understood, underfeeding is still common.
‘The use of feeding tubes in elderly nursing home patients with severe dementia declined from 11.7% in 2000 to 5.7% in 2014.’
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Investigators reviewed data on more than 71,000 advanced dementia residents in nursing homes across the U.S. From 2000 - 2014, researchers found that the proportion of residents receiving feeding tubes declined from 11.7% in 2000 to 5.7% in 2014. Among white patients, insertion rates declined from 8.6 to 3.1% while rates in black patients declined from 37.6-17.5%. For both cohorts, the proportion of residents with advanced dementia and eating dependency who received feeding tubes decreased by approximately 50% between 2000 and 2014. According to Susan L. Mitchell MD, MPH, lead author of the study and HSL title, "This decline parallels the emergence of research, expert opinion, and recommendations by national organizations discouraging this practice."
In the future, to ensure that expert recommendations are disseminated and racial disparities are reduced, researchers argue that fiscal and regulatory policies are needed to discourage tube-feeding and promote a palliative approach to feeding problems for people with dementia.
Poor Balance Among Older Adults may Indicate Higher Risk for Dementia
Poor physical performance is linked to increased odds of dementia in older adults. Standing balance test may help doctors predict dementia risk in older adults.
Poor physical performance is linked to increased odds of dementia in older adults. Standing balance test may help doctors predict dementia risk in older adults.
Source-Eurekalert
Novel Mouse Model for Understanding How Alzheimer's Disease Causes Dementia
Researchers have been able to determine that a one-two punch of major biological 'insults' must occur in the brain to cause the dementia.
Researchers have been able to determine that a one-two punch of major biological 'insults' must occur in the brain to cause the dementia.
Mercury in Seafood Does Not Appear To Increase the Risk of Dementia: Study
Those who ate more seafood had higher levels of mercury in the brain, but the autopsies showed no signs of brain disease in those who had mercury in the brain.
Those who ate more seafood had higher levels of mercury in the brain, but the autopsies showed no signs of brain disease in those who had mercury in the brain.
