AI Article Synopsis

  • - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a serious neurodegenerative disease with a median survival of about 3 years, and a multidisciplinary team can significantly enhance patient care and quality of life through palliative interventions.
  • - This study focused on the feasibility and outcomes of radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG) tube placement for 36 ALS patients, showing a low rate of minor adverse events and no serious issues following the procedure.
  • - Results indicated that RIG tube placement is an effective solution for managing swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) in ALS patients, emphasizing the need for education in palliative care practices among the healthcare teams involved.

Article Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with a median survival of about 3 years. An ALS multidisciplinary team can provide primary palliative care and improve outcomes and quality of life for patients. Feeding tube insertion may be considered for patients with significant weight loss, or respiratory insufficiency. While radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG) tube placement may be an option, further studies are required to determine its best timing and appropriateness. This study's objectives were to evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of RIG tube placement in ALS patients over a 90-day follow-up period through the assessment and primary palliative care provided by the multidisciplinary team. This retrospective study reviewed the placement of 16 or 18 French RIG-tube without intubation or endoscopy for 36 ALS patients at a single center between April 2019 and December 2021. Measures included ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) scores to determine the ALS stage. Demographic, clinical, procedural, and follow-up data were reviewed. Results showed that the RIG tube placement had a low rate of minor adverse events (11%) and no major procedure-related adverse events. The mean ALSFRS-R score at the time of procedure in subjects who died within 90 days was lower than of those alive beyond 90 days ( = .04). This study found that RIG-tube placement is a safe and effective way to manage dysphagia in ALS patients and highlights the importance of educating members of the multidisciplinary clinic in palliative care principles to determine the appropriateness of RIG tube placement.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10499091231180553DOI Listing

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