[Nutritional intervention in patients with cerebrovascular stroke]

Abstract

The patients with acute cerebral stroke suffer from stress situation which may induce the catabolic state. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of the nutrition intervention and follow-up of the nutrition parameters in the patients with acute ischemic cerebral stroke. We have examined 30 patients with acute ischemic cerebral stroke, the average age 71.4 +/- 8.6 years. In all the patients we have measured some antropometric, biochemic and immunologic parameters of the nutrition status on admission. At the same time we have evaluated the size of the neurological deficit with NIH stroke scale and Barthel index. Every day we have monitored in all the patients the nutrition intake. In case the food intake has not reached 30 kcal/kg/day we have started the nutrition intervention by giving polymer enteral nutrition: either like sipping or if necessary through nasogastric tube. The nutrition intervention has been necessary in 18 patients (60%). The measurement of antropometric, biochemical and immunologic parameters have been repeated after 14 days. The evaluation of nutrition parameters have shown no significant changes since admission. The changes of the nutrition parameters in this group of the patients we have compared with the earlier reported group of the patients where no nutrition monitoring and intervention were applied and the nutrition parameters have deteriorated significantly in 2 weeks. By comparing we have confirmed that the careful monitoring of nutrition intake and in the majority of patients also nutrition intervention are necessary, especially because the improvement of the neurological deficit have been noticed more in the group of the monitored and intervened patients. The nutrition intervention can stabilize the followed nutrition parameters which may play the significant role in the speed and efficacy of the rehabilitation.