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Gastric Tube Feeding in Elderly Patients
Philip D. Sloane, MD, MPH;
Peter Rizzolo, MD
Arch Fam Med. 1993;2(9):927-928.
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| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings. |
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RATIONAL USE of life-prolonging medical technologies is one of the challenges of the 1990s. Often, procedures developed for limited use, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, raise difficult practical and moral issues when extended to more general populations.
Such is the situation with artificial feeding. Originally, gastric tube feeding techniques were developed for patients who either could not swallow but were otherwise physically and mentally intact (eg, persons with esophageal burns) or were temporarily unable to eat (eg, some persons in intensive care units). It soon became evident, however, that gastric tube feeding could enhance nutrition and prolong life among many chronically disabled patients, including those with multiple strokes and end-stage dementia. Furthermore, tube placement by percutaneous gastrostomy has become so simple and routine that it has become an effective way to facilitate hospital discharge and to solve difficult nursing care problems. Currently, over 10% of the residents of some nursing homes
. . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]
Author Affiliations
Department of Family Medicine University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
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