BMJ 2006;333 (9 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7580.0-c
This week in the BMJ
Tube feeding in advanced dementia can be harmful
Tube feeding patients with advanced dementia does not prolong life or improve its quality and can actually shorten the life of some patients. In an analysis and comment article, Hoffer (doi: 10.1136/bmj.39021.785197.47) reminds us that elderly patients who eat very little are usually not starving but have low energy requirements and exist in a state of metabolic homeostasis. Good practice comprises regularly weighing patients to be sure that weight loss is not life threatening and paying attention to the quality, characteristics, and presentation of their food.
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- Tube feeding in advanced dementia: the metabolic perspective
- L John Hoffer
BMJ 2006 333: 1214-1215.[Full Text] [PDF]
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