A survey of the enteral nutrition practices in patients with neurological disorders in the tertiary hospitals of China.

Background And Objectives: With the development of enteral nutrition in patients with neurological disorders in China, related guidelines were published in 2011. The Chinese Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition conducted a survey to evaluate the status quo of enteral nutrition practices in these patients.

Methods And Study Design: This multicenter prospective investigation was conducted from April 2012 to April 2013 and involved 18 tertiary hospitals in China. The survey using standardized questionnaires sought information about the basic protocols for enteral nutrition (devices and staffing) and specific information about patients with neurological conditions who received nutrition by way of enteral feeding.

Results: In the 18 hospitals from 13 provinces, 83.3% patients were configured with an enteral nutrition infusion pump, 77.8% had a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) device, and 88.9% had a clinical nutrition support group. Four hundred four patients participated in this survey (259 men, 145 women; mean age 61.3±14.7 years), 85.7% had suffered a stroke, 83.9% had impaired consciousness, and 98.0% had dysphagia. Of the 10 guidelines for enteral nutrition practices, setting the energy target, choosing the enteral nutrition tube, and monitoring the patient received unsatisfactory ratings were in poor compliance (56.2%, 30.0% and 38.9%, respectively); the remaining seven guidelines were in good compliance (each >75%).

Conclusion: The survey suggested that configuration of the enteral nutritional devices and staffing was adequate in China's tertiary hospitals. However, some associated practices had not yet reached the desired levels of competency, indicating a need for this to be understood and for improved training.