Changes in the health-care system during the past decades have led to an increased transfer of health care to the home environment which also concerns patients treated with home enteral tube feeding (HETF). Research is scarce about how HETF care is functioning. Therefore, the overall aim with this thesis was to describe and explore HETF care and treatment from patients', relatives' and nurses' perspectives. Three qualitative and one quantitative study were used. The findings showed that the HETF treatment and care had a great impact on daily life for both patients and their relatives and implied many practical, emotional and social problems in their daily life, which they strived to manage. Side effects were common and the patients' reported low HRQL and general health. The amount and quality of received guidance and support from the health care, not least before discharge, turned out to have impact on the patients' and the relatives' daily life and how they could manage their situation. Lack of guidance and support meant insecurity, worries and distress. Cooperation in the care trajectory was found to be decisive for how well the care was running. Nurses' knowledge about tube feeding and discharge planning procedures, their commitment to the patients' care, as well as clarity regarding responsibility of HETF care were factors of crucial importance on how the cooperation worked, and the quality of the HETF care. This thesis shows the need of improvements regarding the care of HETF patients and their relatives.

This diploma thesis deals with the topic of nutritional support in patients with neurological diseases (stroke, craniocerebral trauma, critical-illness-polyneuropathy. The aim of this thesis is to find out, how implemented unified system of nutritional support affects the well-being of patients at neuro-rehabilitation clinic Asklepios Schlossberg Klinikum in Bad König. There were observed 58 patients (33 men and 25 women) during 8 weeks. The theoretical part of this thesis describes basic components of nutrition, energy expenditure and needs, selected neurological diseases, dysphagia, malnutrition and nutrition in intensive neurological care. The practical part of the thesis analyses data obtained by the observation. There are observed changes of body weight, BMI and laboratory values of total protein and albumin in serum. These data are divided by sex, age and type of disease. Based on the results, it was found that although patients due to uniform tube feeding do not have sufficient protein intake, serum total protein and albumin levels increased. This can be caused by eating a uniform diet that contains good quality protein in patients, which suffered from hypoalbunemia at the outset of observation, also by reducing the effect of stress reactions with gradual improvement of the state and...

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the number of registered dietitians in Tennessee who perceive they are practicing at advanced levels versus those making recommendations only. Job satisfaction according to order writing privileges was also assessed. A five question survey was sent to hospitals meeting selection criteria. Thirty-three surveys (89%) were returned. Eighty-nine percent of dietitians with order writing privileges considered themselves to be advanced level practitioners compared to 60% in the group of dietitians who did not have order writing privileges. Dietitians with order writing privileges indicated greater job satisfaction compared to dietitians that did not have that privilege. Greater job satisfaction was reported with advanced level skills which included order writing privileges. This study may show the need for dietitians to pursue advanced level skills in order to be challenged by their work, which may improve job satisfaction, and advancement in the field of nutritional care.

As sondas de alimentação constituem uma via alternativa para a administração de medicamentos em pacientes cuja situação clínica impede a utilização da via oral. É sabido que a utilização de medicamentos nesses pacientes requer cuidados especiais, tanto na seleção da forma farmacêutica quanto no preparo e na administração dos mesmos. Para se conhecer as características dos pacientes internados usando sondas de nutrição enteral (SNE) no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, bem como os medicamentos prescritos e utilizados via SNE, foram analisados 315 prontuários médicos na primeira etapa do estudo. A maioria dos pacientes era formada por adultos (51%) do sexo masculino (59%), com diagnóstico de câncer (32%) ou doença neurológica (21%). A média de uso da SNE foi de 15 dias. Noventa e cinco por cento dos pacientes utilizaram algum fármaco na forma farmacêutica sólida, principalmente comprimidos (72%), cápsulas (12%) e drágeas (9%). A taxa de troca de sonda correspondeu a 32%. Na segunda etapa do estudo, auxiliares de enfermagem foram observados em suas rotinas de trabalho no hospital, visando analisar o processo de preparo e administração dos medicamentos aos pacientes. Foi observado que esses profissionais não utilizavam técnicas adequadas nos momentos de preparo dos medicamentos e administração dos mesmos aos pacientes com SNE. A alta incidência do uso de formas farmacêuticas sólidas, o número de medicamentos prescritos, os dias de uso da sonda e a diversidade de métodos de trabalho utilizados no momento da derivação, diluição e administração dos medicamentos pelos auxiliares de enfermagem mostram que, apesar da ampla informação disponível na literatura sobre o uso de medicamentos em pacientes com SNE, a prática clínica está sendo realizada de modo inconsistente em relação aos dados disponíveis, trazendo assim dificuldades para o tratamento dos pacientes. / The tube feeding constitutes an alternative way for patients with a clinic situation that the oral way is hindered. It is known that these patients require particular methods in the drug utilization process, even in the selection of the pharmaceutical form of the medicine as in the preparation and administration of these drugs. To understand the patient characteristics using enteral tube feeding (ETF) in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre as well as the drugs prescribed by ETF way, the medical records of 315 interned patients were analyzed in the first stage of the research. The majority of patients was adults (51%) of male gender (59%) with cancer (32%) or neurological disease (21%) diagnostic. The ETF using average was 15 days. Ninety five per cent of the analyzed patients used some kind of drug in the solid pharmaceutical form, mainly tablets (72%), capsule (12%) and coated tablet (9%). The ETF using average was 15 days. Ninety five per cent of the analyzed patients used some kind of drug in the solid pharmaceutical form, mainly tablets (72%), capsule (12%) and coated tablet (9%). The average of ETF changing was 32%. In the second stage of this research, nurse assistants were observed in their routine of working in the hospital to analyze the process of preparation and administration of the drugs to patients with ETF. It was observed that the nurses assistant neither use proper techniques in the moment of the drugs preparation nor in the administration of these drugs to patients with ETF. The high incidence of using solid pharmaceutical forms; the number of drugs prescribed, the using days of ETF and the diversity of working methods used in the derivation, dilution and administration moment by the nurse assistants showed that despite good amount of information in the literature about the administration of drugs in patients using ETF, the clinical practice is being carried out in a way that is inconsistent with the data available, causing difficulties for the patient treatment.

As sondas de alimentação constituem uma via alternativa para a administração de medicamentos em pacientes cuja situação clínica impede a utilização da via oral. É sabido que a utilização de medicamentos nesses pacientes requer cuidados especiais, tanto na seleção da forma farmacêutica quanto no preparo e na administração dos mesmos. Para se conhecer as características dos pacientes internados usando sondas de nutrição enteral (SNE) no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, bem como os medicamentos prescritos e utilizados via SNE, foram analisados 315 prontuários médicos na primeira etapa do estudo. A maioria dos pacientes era formada por adultos (51%) do sexo masculino (59%), com diagnóstico de câncer (32%) ou doença neurológica (21%). A média de uso da SNE foi de 15 dias. Noventa e cinco por cento dos pacientes utilizaram algum fármaco na forma farmacêutica sólida, principalmente comprimidos (72%), cápsulas (12%) e drágeas (9%). A taxa de troca de sonda correspondeu a 32%. Na segunda etapa do estudo, auxiliares de enfermagem foram observados em suas rotinas de trabalho no hospital, visando analisar o processo de preparo e administração dos medicamentos aos pacientes. Foi observado que esses profissionais não utilizavam técnicas adequadas nos momentos de preparo dos medicamentos e administração dos mesmos aos pacientes com SNE. A alta incidência do uso de formas farmacêuticas sólidas, o número de medicamentos prescritos, os dias de uso da sonda e a diversidade de métodos de trabalho utilizados no momento da derivação, diluição e administração dos medicamentos pelos auxiliares de enfermagem mostram que, apesar da ampla informação disponível na literatura sobre o uso de medicamentos em pacientes com SNE, a prática clínica está sendo realizada de modo inconsistente em relação aos dados disponíveis, trazendo assim dificuldades para o tratamento dos pacientes. / The tube feeding constitutes an alternative way for patients with a clinic situation that the oral way is hindered. It is known that these patients require particular methods in the drug utilization process, even in the selection of the pharmaceutical form of the medicine as in the preparation and administration of these drugs. To understand the patient characteristics using enteral tube feeding (ETF) in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre as well as the drugs prescribed by ETF way, the medical records of 315 interned patients were analyzed in the first stage of the research. The majority of patients was adults (51%) of male gender (59%) with cancer (32%) or neurological disease (21%) diagnostic. The ETF using average was 15 days. Ninety five per cent of the analyzed patients used some kind of drug in the solid pharmaceutical form, mainly tablets (72%), capsule (12%) and coated tablet (9%). The ETF using average was 15 days. Ninety five per cent of the analyzed patients used some kind of drug in the solid pharmaceutical form, mainly tablets (72%), capsule (12%) and coated tablet (9%). The average of ETF changing was 32%. In the second stage of this research, nurse assistants were observed in their routine of working in the hospital to analyze the process of preparation and administration of the drugs to patients with ETF. It was observed that the nurses assistant neither use proper techniques in the moment of the drugs preparation nor in the administration of these drugs to patients with ETF. The high incidence of using solid pharmaceutical forms; the number of drugs prescribed, the using days of ETF and the diversity of working methods used in the derivation, dilution and administration moment by the nurse assistants showed that despite good amount of information in the literature about the administration of drugs in patients using ETF, the clinical practice is being carried out in a way that is inconsistent with the data available, causing difficulties for the patient treatment.

As sondas de alimentação constituem uma via alternativa para a administração de medicamentos em pacientes cuja situação clínica impede a utilização da via oral. É sabido que a utilização de medicamentos nesses pacientes requer cuidados especiais, tanto na seleção da forma farmacêutica quanto no preparo e na administração dos mesmos. Para se conhecer as características dos pacientes internados usando sondas de nutrição enteral (SNE) no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, bem como os medicamentos prescritos e utilizados via SNE, foram analisados 315 prontuários médicos na primeira etapa do estudo. A maioria dos pacientes era formada por adultos (51%) do sexo masculino (59%), com diagnóstico de câncer (32%) ou doença neurológica (21%). A média de uso da SNE foi de 15 dias. Noventa e cinco por cento dos pacientes utilizaram algum fármaco na forma farmacêutica sólida, principalmente comprimidos (72%), cápsulas (12%) e drágeas (9%). A taxa de troca de sonda correspondeu a 32%. Na segunda etapa do estudo, auxiliares de enfermagem foram observados em suas rotinas de trabalho no hospital, visando analisar o processo de preparo e administração dos medicamentos aos pacientes. Foi observado que esses profissionais não utilizavam técnicas adequadas nos momentos de preparo dos medicamentos e administração dos mesmos aos pacientes com SNE. A alta incidência do uso de formas farmacêuticas sólidas, o número de medicamentos prescritos, os dias de uso da sonda e a diversidade de métodos de trabalho utilizados no momento da derivação, diluição e administração dos medicamentos pelos auxiliares de enfermagem mostram que, apesar da ampla informação disponível na literatura sobre o uso de medicamentos em pacientes com SNE, a prática clínica está sendo realizada de modo inconsistente em relação aos dados disponíveis, trazendo assim dificuldades para o tratamento dos pacientes. / The tube feeding constitutes an alternative way for patients with a clinic situation that the oral way is hindered. It is known that these patients require particular methods in the drug utilization process, even in the selection of the pharmaceutical form of the medicine as in the preparation and administration of these drugs. To understand the patient characteristics using enteral tube feeding (ETF) in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre as well as the drugs prescribed by ETF way, the medical records of 315 interned patients were analyzed in the first stage of the research. The majority of patients was adults (51%) of male gender (59%) with cancer (32%) or neurological disease (21%) diagnostic. The ETF using average was 15 days. Ninety five per cent of the analyzed patients used some kind of drug in the solid pharmaceutical form, mainly tablets (72%), capsule (12%) and coated tablet (9%). The ETF using average was 15 days. Ninety five per cent of the analyzed patients used some kind of drug in the solid pharmaceutical form, mainly tablets (72%), capsule (12%) and coated tablet (9%). The average of ETF changing was 32%. In the second stage of this research, nurse assistants were observed in their routine of working in the hospital to analyze the process of preparation and administration of the drugs to patients with ETF. It was observed that the nurses assistant neither use proper techniques in the moment of the drugs preparation nor in the administration of these drugs to patients with ETF. The high incidence of using solid pharmaceutical forms; the number of drugs prescribed, the using days of ETF and the diversity of working methods used in the derivation, dilution and administration moment by the nurse assistants showed that despite good amount of information in the literature about the administration of drugs in patients using ETF, the clinical practice is being carried out in a way that is inconsistent with the data available, causing difficulties for the patient treatment.