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. 2014 Apr 23;2014(4):CD006274.
doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD006274.pub3.

Medically assisted nutrition for adult palliative care patients

Phillip Good  1 , Russell Richard, William Syrmis, Sue Jenkins-Marsh, Jane Stephens
Affiliations

Medically assisted nutrition for adult palliative care patients

Phillip Good et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. .

Abstract

Background: Many palliative care patients have a reduced oral intake during their illness. The management of this can include the provision of medically assisted nutrition with the aim of prolonging the length of life of a patient, improving their quality of life, or both. This is an updated version of the original Cochrane review published in Issue 4, 2008.

Objectives: To determine the effect of medically assisted nutrition on the quality and length of life of palliative care patients.

Search methods: We identified studies from searching Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, CANCERLIT, Caresearch, Dissertation abstracts, SCIENCE CITATION INDEX and the reference lists of all eligible trials, key textbooks and previous systematic reviews. The date of the latest search was 26 March 2014.

Selection criteria: All relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or prospective controlled trials (if no RCTs were found).

Data collection and analysis: We found no RCTs or prospectively controlled trials that met the inclusion criteria.

Main results: The original review identified four prospective non-controlled trials and the updated search in 2014 identified one more (plus an updated version of a Cochrane review on enteral feeding in motor neuron disease). There were five prospective non-controlled trials (including one qualitative study) that studied medically assisted nutrition in palliative care participants, and one Cochrane systematic review (on motor neuron disease that found no RCTs), but no RCTs or prospective controlled studies.

Authors' conclusions: Since the last version of this review, we found no new studies. There are insufficient good-quality trials to make any recommendations for practice with regards to the use of medically assisted nutrition in palliative care patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

None known.

Figures

1
1
Study flow diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Update of

References

References to studies excluded from this review

Bozzetti 2002 {published data only}
    1. Bozzetti F, Cozzaglio L, Biganzoli E, Chiavenna G, Cicco M, Donati D, et al. Quality of life and length of survival in advanced cancer patients on home parenteral nutrition. Clinical Nutrition 2002;21(4):281‐8. - PubMed
Chermesh 2011 {published data only}
    1. Chermesh I, Mashiach T, Amit A, Haim N, Papier I, Efergan R, et al. Home parenteral nutrition (HTPN) for incurable patients with cancer with gastrointestinal obstruction: do the benefits outweigh the risks?. Medical Oncology 2011;28(1):83‐8. - PubMed
Katzberg 2011 {published data only}
    1. Katzberg HD, Benatar M. Enteral tube feeding for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 1. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004030.pub3] - DOI - PMC - PubMed
Meier 2001 {published data only}
    1. Meier DE, Ahronheim JC, Morris J, Baskin‐Lyons S, Morrison RS. High short‐term mortality in hospitalized patients with advanced dementia: lack of benefit of tube feeding. Archives of Internal Medicine 2001;161(4):594‐9. [0003‐9926] - PubMed
Orrevall 2005 {published data only}
    1. Orrevall Y, Tishelman C, Permert J. Home parenteral nutrition: a qualitative interview study of the experiences of advanced cancer patients and their families. Clinical Nutrition 2005;24(6):961‐70. - PubMed
Pironi 1997 {published data only}
    1. Pironi L, Ruggeri E, Tanneberger S, Giordani S, Pannuti F, Miglioli M. Home artificial nutrition in advanced cancer. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 1997;90(11):597‐603. - PMC - PubMed

Additional references

Bozzetti 1996
    1. Bozzetti F, Amadori D, Bruera E, Cozzaglio L, Corli O, Filiberti A, et al. Guidelines on artificial nutrition versus hydration in terminal cancer patients. European Association for Palliative Care. Nutrition 1996;12(3):163‐7. - PubMed
Casarett 2005
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Doyle 2004
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Glare 2003
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Good 2014
    1. Good P, Cavenagh J, Mather M, Ravenscroft P. Medically assisted hydration for adult palliative care patients. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2014, Issue 4. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006273.pub3] - DOI - PMC - PubMed
Jadad 1996
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Morita 1998
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Rinck 1997
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WHO 2005
    1. World Health Organization. WHO Definition of Palliative Care. www.who.int/cancer/palliative/definition/en/ (accessed 2 April 2014).

References to other published versions of this review

Good 2008
    1. Good P, Cavenagh J, Mather M, Ravenscroft P. Medically assisted nutrition for palliative care in adult patients. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 4. [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006273.pub2] - DOI - PubMed

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