ESPEN 2012 - Late breaking abstract submission
Topic: Late Breaking Abstract
Abs n°:ESPEN12-1946
Abs Title: SUPPLEMENTATION WITH ARGININE, GLUTAMINE AND BETA HYDROXYMETHYLBUTIRATE (BETA HMB) CAN IMPROVE PRESSURE ULCER HEALING, REDUCE PAIN AND FREQUENCY OF DRESSING CHANGES, IMPROVING COSTS.
G. Benati 1,*R. Gasparoni 1D. Coppola 1
1Geriatric Department, AUSL Forlì, Forlì, Italy
Rationale: A specific oral supplementation with arginine, glutamine and ßHMB is known to improve Pressure Ulcer (PU) healing. Aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of a tube supplementation with arginine, glutamine and ßHMB in home patients with PU and an ongoing tube feeding.
Methods: Twenty-eight patients with PU and a home standard tube feeding (Group A) were compared to thirty-two patients with a tube specific supplementation (Group B). MUST, PUSH scales and Analogic Scale for Pain were measured weekly; the number of dressing changes was considered for each enrolled patient. Treatment and observation time was 12 weeks.
Results: Patients with a MUST score greater than 1 was present in 25% (Group A) and 28% (Group B) of the total number. Percentage of wound healing patients in Group B was greater as compared to Group A at the end of the study (25% vs 7%; p<0.05). At week six patients with a specific treatment for PU showed a significantly lower pain score as compared to patients treated with a standard nutrition (4.6±2.3 vs 8.2±1.7; p<0.05). Mean number of dressing changes for each patients in Group B was significantly lower as compared to Group A (14.2±.2.6 vs 27.4±3.2; p<0.005).
Conclusion: Specific nutrients such as arginine, glutamine and ßHMB may modulate inflammation and in tube fed PU patients it may be effective in improving PU healing, reducing pain and frequency of dressing changes. A specific nutritional treatment may be considered relevant in reducing nursing time for the evaluation and tretament of PU patients and thus determining lower costs for the health-care system.
Disclosure of Interest: None Declared
Keywords: None