Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG)--analysis in one hospital

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) has been investigated over the past 5 years at the author's hospital, together with the establishment of home PEG on a trial basis. PEG was performed in 176 cases from 1995 to 1999 with the goal of nutritional management, and in 26 cases with the goal of decompression drainage of the digestive tract. Patients who could be transferred to home management due to the establishment of the PEG included 92 (52%) with the goal of nutrition and 4 (15%) for decompression drainage. There is no remarkable difference in the effective treatment period between home and hospital management, and patients who could be transferred to their own homes were thus able to spend most of their remaining time at home; therefore, PEG contributes to home care. Complications associated with the establishment of PEG occurred in 17 (8.4%) patients, the majority of which were absesses at the site of insertion. Three patients who underwent PEG at home experienced no complications and could be transferred to parenteral nutrition via PEG. PEG is a useful method for nutritional management and digestive tract drainage, and contributes to home treatment and the improvement of patient quality of life. We would like to attempt further use of these methods including home PEG.     

Regional medical support by management of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy(PEG)

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy(PEG)is useful for not only enteral nutrition but an early rehabilitation of oral intake. We perform PEG and rehabilitation consistently, and we also exchange a catheter after the patient is discharged from our hospital. Most patients undergo changing a PEG catheter at our hospital. So we can follow them for a long-term. There are four techniques to exchange a PEG catheter. We performed exchanging a catheter for 156 patients. There were no major complications to the patients. Merit of the first method, sky-blue method, is that we could change by bed side with almost no invasion. However, we could not get an image of a catheter in the stomach. By the second method, fluoroscopy, we could make an exact image, but a patient had little invasion of moving to an X-ray room, accepting contrast medium, and having Xray exposure. The third method, oral endoscopy, is most reliable for a confirmation of a catheter, but it is most invasive. The fourth method, battery type endoscopy, is less invasive than the third method. We could change a catheter by bed side and use an endoscope as a guiding introducer, and get an image of inside the stomach. We need an imaging diagnosis for getting a confirmation. A battery type endoscopy, which is easily manipulated, is expected to be widely used both in the hospital care and the home nursing care.     

Usefulness of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in home health care--investigation from the viewpoint of cost effectiveness

The use of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) has widely spread in recent years, even in Japan. In our hospital, we have performed this procedure in over 20 patients per year recently. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of PEG in home health care from the view point of cost effectiveness. We found that medical expenses decreased remarkably when patients underwent PEG because they could switch from hospital care to home health care, shortening there by the period of hospital care. The role of PEG in home health care will be more important also from cost effectiveness.     

The regional cooperation of medical services and a nutritional support team

"Community NST" is a new concept, which means a cooperation system with the hospital NST and a regional medical service. "Community NST" provides home nutritional care for the patients with nutritional problems. The function of the hospital NST for inpatients has been established in recent years. Now the patients need a continuous nutritional care not only in the hospital but at home. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) has been performed on the base of cooperation with the hospital and home care. This PEG system is one of the functions of "Community NST". The author showed several measures of "Community NST", which have been tried in the hospital.     

Enteral nutrition for gastrointestinal disease in home care

We report 5 patients given enteral feeding in order to continue its nutritional supportive care of our hospital. In patients 1, 2, and 3 who were malnourished, enteral nutrition was provided due to poor oral intakes after surgical treatment. In patients 4 and 5, enteral feedings were made via the proximal jejunum in order to bypass the duodenum, for nutrients in the duodenum enhanced their biliary infection or chronic pancreatitis, respectively. All patients' nutritional status was satisfactory, but two of five patients could not be discharged from the hospital. The reason was that the patients and their families wanted to continue the hospital care in spite of the improvement in the clinical problem. They had no help at home to care for the patient. We conclude that enteral nutrition is very useful for gastrointestinal disease, but that social problems affect home care with enteral nutrition.     

Good clinical practice in the dietetic management of cancer patients

CONTEXT: The "Standards, Options and Recommendations" (SOR) project, started in 1993, is a collaboration between the Federation of the French Cancer Centres (FNCL CC), the 20 French Cancer Centres and specialists from French Public Universities, General Hospitals and Private Clinics. The main objective is the development of clinical practice guidelines to improve the quality of health care and outcome for cancer patients. The methodology is based on literature review and critical appraisal by a multidisciplinary group of experts, with feed-back from specialists in cancer care delivery. OBJECTIVES: To develop clinical practice guidelines according to the definitions of Standards, Options and Recommendations for the dietetic consultation for cancer patient. METHODS: Data have been identified by literature search wing Medline and the expert groups personal reference lists. Once the guidelines were defined, the document was submitted for review to 74 independent reviewers, and to the medical committees of the 20 French Cancer Centres. RESULTS: The main recommendations for the referral of cancer patients for dietary advice are: I) in oncology, there are 3 types of dietetic consultation: diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic; 2) the following cancer patients must have a dietetic consultation: i) those with, or at risk of malnutrition, ii) those without malnutrition but in need of counseling and iii) those at risk of treatment-related nutritional side effects; 3) a nutritional assessment is standard at the time of the first dietetic consultation. Patients must be given individualized and written advice; 4) the dietetic opinion and advice should be brought to the attention of medical staff to facilitate a multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment; 5) patient's relatives should be involved in the dietetic management; 6) the efficacy of dietetic advice can be assessed by monitoring weight, gastrointestinal signs and patient satisfaction.     

Present situation of home care and roles of nurses at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital--through the 5-year home care support activities

Diseases, details of interventions, medical cares provided and the condition of use and services of local medical institutions were investigated in the home care support activities during the period from November 1997 to March 2003. We intervened in 1,309 patients. 70% of them were terminal patients with malignant tumor. Interventions were mostly consultations about the life under medical care, guidance about HPN/tube feeding, consultations about nursing and coordination with local medical institutions. 422 of them were under care of family doctors. 502 of them used visiting nursing. 70% of the patients under care of the hospital required high-tech home care and home hospice care. The 5-year activities indicate that nurses who support home care at the hospitals providing acute medical care are expected to 1. serve as the consultation contact for patients and families, 2. support the life under medical care in consultation with internal and external related professionals, 3. use social resources, 4. serve as the contact for providing the logistic support under an emergent situation or under the lack of care-giving capabilities, 5. provide guidance for the safe use of high-tech home medical care by patients/families at the discharge, 6. communicate or coordinate with local medical institutions for continued care/nursing and 7. develop/support the flexible and convenient distribution system of medical equipment and medical materials/drugs or the 24-hour healthcare support system jointly with private enterprises.     

Support of the palliative care at home by surgeons at community-based hospital

We require many types of jobs and a compact cooperation of an institution so that the terminal stage cancer patients undergo palliative care they hope. Even if the patient and family hope for palliative care at home, there are many cases with various limitations where they had to continue staying in the hospital. On the other hand, we experienced a case with a good use of surgeon's skills in which the patient was able to go back home. Another case was that the patient was able to go home from hospital for an overnight or two. One more case in point was that the patient's QOL had increased while he was alive, though the patient could not go back home. The palliative care that surgeon offers is not only provide a pain control, but he also has to give a thought that how the patient's QOL amelioration and daily clinical maneuverings(for stopping aggressive tumor invasions)by surgeon are balanced.     

Development of a community care system for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the Hiroshima Bihoku region

To understand the various problems of medical treatment and home care of ALS patients, we analyzed 23 ALS patients who live in the Bihoku region of Hiroshima prefecture. The ages of patients ranged from 50 to 88 years old. One patient was controlled with mechanical ventilation. The patients and their families utilized available home health care services well. A care manager managed to find appropriate resources for the patients as the disease progressed. Although limited in resources, patients' friends and neighbors offered an informal community support. An early approval of support enabled the patient to initiate home care. The incidence of hospitalization due to social reasons was higher in patients without communication to a care manager or without well cooperative support. Assessments of patient and family needs are important for a development of a community care system. It is also essential for all of the patients to have a good cooperative relationship.     

The role of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy(PEG)in palliative care

The role of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy(PEG)in palliative care has not been well discussed. With the evolution of endoscopic techniques and PEG devices, we can perform PEG more safely, even in difficult cases. Actually, PEG is very useful in home care of cancer patients. We should discuss the indications of PEG in the field of palliative medicine. We suggest the following indications for PEG: 1.Difficulty in ingestion of sufficient quantities of food and water because of pain on swallowing, or an obstruction caused by cancer. 2.Normal gastrointestinal function. 3.Expected survival time of more than four weeks in addition to absence of cachexia. 4.Patient's consent for PEG.     

Home care of an ALS patient using an artificial respirator

Due to social changes, advancement of medical technology and introduction of home care insurance, it has become a reality that a patient using an artificial respirator could be treated at home. We report specific problems associated with an ALS patient using an artificial respirator through home care support. A 68-year-old male had a back problem in 2001 and developed a sudden difficulty in breathing. Since 2002, the patient was forced to use an artificial respirator, and without taking his informed consent, was treated at home. Primary caregivers are his wife and daughter. The specific problems we identified are (1) patient's caregivers were unnecessary confused due to a lack of coordination between visiting nurses from two hospitals in giving home care treatment direction, (2) the care giver's burden tends to increase as the duration of care is extended because the short-stay facility or transferring system for patient is not well equipped, (3) there is no particular place to ask for assistance in case of an emergency or an established communication method as the patient's disease status will progress. It appears that these identified problems cannot be resolved by one hospital. However, we believe that we have to establish a community-wide home care system as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, it is important to have a nationwide coordination involving government, corporations, and political institutions to make it to be a success.     

The experiences of elderly patients' successful resumption of oral ingestion with home parenteral nutrition and multi-professional team approach

There are many elderly patients with poor oral intake when they are hospitalized with pneumonia or urinary tract infection, and we often need to consider their proper feeding method, such as percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy(PEG)or total parenteral nutrition(TPN). However, it is difficult to receive homecare services for patients who rely highly upon medical treatment. Meanwhile, a prolonged hospitalization is a serious social problem. Here, we report two cases of elderly patients who were able to eat because home parenteral nutrition care and seamless approach were provided by multi-professional team.     

Key issues in death at home

After our facility was first opened, we provided terminal care for one patient with terminal stomach cancer. In this case palliative care, so important in terminal care, and care for the family was insufficient, and in the end we had to abandon the process assuring the kind of death the patient wished for at home. Learning from this experience, we have provided terminal care to about 150 patients based on each patient's outlook on life and view of life and death. These patients have included terminal cancer patients and patients informed of their cancer who chose to coexist with the cancer and live together with their families. At home, the words and facial expressions of the patients and their families are clear expressions of their humanity. At times, such, feelings are also directed frankly and unaffectedly toward us, the visiting nursing staff. When considering the early case in which we were unable to continue home care, we could see various problems: on the part of the medical staff including primary physician and nurses, the welfare service, the patient and family, and neighboring informal social resources. These included problems in informing the patient of his cancer and his remaining days. In home treatment of patients with terminal cancer, death at home assisted by a physician from the same medical facility is not emotionally all it might appear to be. Nurses, for example, do not provide religious comfort; therefore, they can not provide home hospice services. Or so it is said. However, in supporting community home care, there is an exchange between humans and the communication of genuine feelings; thus, the nurturing of warm care makes possible the kind of death the person wishes. In fact, we can not deny that that is the path we are taking. In the present report, we explore the issues that make home terminal care possible from the viewpoint of visiting nurses.     

A randomized clinical trial of home nursing care for lung cancer patients

A randomized clinical trial was conducted to assess the effects of home nursing care for patients with progressive lung cancer. One hundred sixty-six patients were assigned to either an oncology home care group (OHC) that received care from oncology home care nurses, a standard home care group (SHC) that received care from regular home care nurses, or an office care group (OC) that received whatever care they needed except for home care. Patients were entered into the study 2 months after diagnosis and followed for 6 months. Patients were interviewed at 6-week intervals across five occasions. At the end of the study, there were no differences in pain, mood disturbance, and concerns among the three groups. There were significant differences in symptom distress, enforced social dependency, and health perceptions. The two home nursing care groups had less distress and greater independence 6 weeks longer than the office care group. In addition, the two home nursing care groups steadily reported worse health perceptions over time. Thus, it was remarkable that the office care group, which indicated more symptom distress and social dependency with time, also indicated perceptions of improved health with time. These results suggest that home nursing care assists patients with forestalling distress from symptoms and maintaining their independence longer in comparison to no home nursing care. Home care may also include assisting patients in acknowledging the reality of their situation.     

Comparison of home and hospital care of advanced cancer patients

Treatment and care of terminal cancer patients are conducted in different ways, according to the cultural, social, political and economical situations of the countries which have progressively adopted and developed them. In Italy there are no specialized structures such as "hospices" or the "palliative care units" like in the Anglo-Saxon world: the care of terminal cancer patients is carried out either in a general hospital or at their own home. In Milan and elsewhere there are home care teams in which doctors, nurses, social workers and volunteers, all work in connection with hospital structures. In this way, patients can receive specialized care for physical, psychological and social problems at home too. To evaluate costs and effectiveness of this program, a comparison was made between the home care and the conventional treatment carried out in general hospitals. Two groups of thirty terminal cancer patients have been studied: the first group was composed of hospital patients in Desio and the second one included patients cared for by the home care service organized by the Floriani Foundation and the Italian League against Cancer (Milan Section). We evaluated intensity and duration of pain, hours of sleep and hours of standing, sitting and lying, presence of side-effects, performance status and therapies. Data were also collected on the quality of life (Spitzer QLI), social and economical needs of the patients, type and quality of care, degree of awareness of the diagnosis by the patient and the family. This data were collected by the nurse who looked after the patient. Care costs were also quantified. The comparison between the two groups significantly favours the home care group as shown by the performance status after 2 weeks of care, the "health scale" and the Total index of the Spitzer QLI and in general the greater satisfaction of the care received. Home care produces results equivalent to those achieved in hospitals as far as clinical parameters are concerned. An approximate quantification of the costs shows that an average cost for a day's home care was about Lit. 52,500 as compared with Lit. 360,000 for a day's hospitalization.     

Nasogastric and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding in head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy treatment at a regional oncology unit: a two year study.

The aim of this prospective two year study was to compare the outcome of two methods of nutritional support, namely nasogastric (NG) and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding implemented for head and neck cancer patients unable to maintain their nutritional status whilst receiving radiotherapy treatment at a regional oncology unit. The nutritional requirements of the 100 patients included in the study were calculated and an enteral feeding regime implemented to ensure the nutritional requirements of each individual patient were met. Any changes in the weight and body mass index (BMI) of each patient during the study period were documented. The method of delivery, composition of feed and duration of nutritional support of each feeding method were determined. The Feeding methods were found to be equally effective at maintaining body weight. patients with NG tubes in situ were more frequently prescribed a standard 1 kcal/ml feed administered via an enteral feeding pump, whereas patients with PEG tubes in situ were more frequently prescribed a high energy 1.5 Kcal/ml feed administered by the bolus method. A number of advantages are assocaited with PEG feeding including greater mobility, cosmesis and quality of life. Evidence indicates the outcome of radiotherapy treatment is not as favourable if interrupted, therefore, it is essential PEG tubes are sited prior tocommencing treatment, illustrating the necessity for dietetic intervention for every patient to be addressed and incorporated into the treatment plan on diagnosis of head and neck cancer before definitive management commences.     

Palliative care for the patients and their families

This article discusses palliative care for the patients and their families and the role of nurses for a smooth change from inpatient services to home care. Home is where a patient feels most comfortable. To provide the best possible care it is important to respect the decision of the patient and his family maximally and QOL takes top priority. Through the participation of home care doctors, home health nurses, pharmacists, etc., a 24-hour system can be established to improve home care. Simultaneously, the up of a patient self-care agency regards it as an importance. However, it is very difficulty for the patients and their families demonstrate the identity in the complicated medical situation, and thus providing support to them is a function of the nurses. It has been required that nurses in hospitals and home health nurses function to raise patients' self-care.     

Reason why home hospice is not widespread in Japan

A home hospice care program was begun at Fukushima Rousai Hospital in 1987. Nowadays, fifty percent or more of patients who die of cancer use this program, and patients who die in their own homes have reached about 40 percent. Based on our experience, we analyzed the factors in why home hospice care is not widespread in Japan, and pointed out some factors as follows. The main factors are insufficient disclosure of information regarding diagnosis and disease progression, poor palliative care, and incompleteness of the visit medical treatment system. Other factors are doctors' zeal for cure, patients' and/or families' excessive expectation of recovery, insufficient numbers of doctors and nurses with knowledge and skills concerning the home hospice care, doctors' and/or families' conviction that death in the hospital is natural, lack of social systems that support the family, limitations in the use of medicine at insurance drugstores, and the fact that insurance cannot be adjusted for medical treatment in the patients' home.