Influence of Hyperglycemia Associated with Enteral Nutrition on Mortality in Patients with Stroke.

Objectives: To evaluate in patients admitted for stroke: (1) The frequency of hyperglycaemia associated with enteral nutrition (EN). (2) The risk of morbidity and mortality associated with the development of this type of hyperglycaemia. METHODS: A longitudinal observational study was conducted in 115 non-diabetic patients admitted for stroke with EN. Age, functional capacity (Rankin scale), and blood plasma glucose (BPG) were recorded. Hyperglycaemia was considered as: a value higher than 126 mg/dL before the EN and/or a value higher than 150 mg/dL after a week of enteral nutrition. According to this, three groups were differentiated: HyperES: Those who had hyperglycemia before the beginning of the EN (33% patients); NoHyper: those who did not have hyperglycemia before or after (47.8% patients); and HyperEN: Those who did not have hyperglycemia before but suffered it after the beginning of the EN (19.1% patients). RESULTS: The age was 72.72 (15.32) years. A higher rate of mortality was observed in the HyperEN group 45.50%, than HyperES 15.80% or NoHyper: 10.90%). A lower recovery of the oral feeding was observed in those patients of the HyperEN group 27.30%, than HyperES: 42.10% or NoHyper: 61.80%). In the multivariate analysis adjusting for age, sex, and Rankin scale the development of hyperglycemia in those who did not have it at the beginning (HyperEN) was an independent risk factor for non-recovery of the oral feeding (OR: 4.21 (1.20-14.79), p = 0.02); and mortality adjusted for age, sex and Rankin scale (OR: 6.83 (1.76-26.47), p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In non-diabetic patients admitted for stroke with EN, the development of hyperglycaemia in relation to enteral nutrition supposes an independent risk factor for mortality and for the non-recovery of the oral feeding.

Influence of a multidisciplinary protocol on nutritional status at diagnosis in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study were to understand the influence of a multidisciplinary care protocol in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on the change in the delay of remission to the nutrition specialist and the initial nutritional status. METHODS: A cohort study was performed in 43 patients with ALS who were referred to the Nutrition Unit between April 2015 and April 2017. Anthropometric parameters and diagnostic times were collected, and the nutritional status was studied through subjective global assessment (SGA). Patients who were included before (control cohort [NoP]) and after (protocol cohort [P]) a multidisciplinary protocol were compared. The mean age of the participants was 66.79 y (10.86 y). Of the patients, 62.8% belonged to the protocol cohort. RESULTS: Patients who started the protocol had a lower delay in initial assessment by a nutrition specialist (P:2 [1-6] mo/NoP:12 [10-29] mo; P = 0.03). When the nutritional status was analyzed according to the SGA, more patients who did not initiate protocol were in the state of severe malnutrition (C) (P 22.2% versus NoP 60%; P = 0.01). Entry into the protocol was an independent protective factor of the presence of severe malnutrition at the beginning of the nutritional follow-up (odds ratio, 0.20; 95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.73; P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a multidisciplinary protocol in ALS allowed patients to present a lower percentage of severe malnutrition in an initial assessment by the nutrition specialist. This protocol is a protective factor for the presence of malnutrition at the beginning of support.