PW28 - IMPROVED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULT BOLUS TUBE FEEDING PATIENTS WITH A UNIQUE READY-TO-USE, SQUEEZABLE BOLUS TUBE FEEDING POUCH

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PW28

IMPROVED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULT BOLUS TUBE FEEDING PATIENTS WITH A UNIQUE READY-TO-USE, SQUEEZABLE BOLUS TUBE FEEDING POUCH

I. Evans1,*, C. Griffen1, G. P. Hubbard1, N. Wyer2, L. Allan3, H. Meanwell4, L. Green5, C. Banks6, L. Szymanski7, S. Ogundere8, F. Bhunnoo-Nadeem8, G. Simpson9, J. Bates10, Y. Dube11, C. Brooks12, C. Lennon13, N. Glanville14, C. Crane15, R. Capener1, R. J. Stratton1,16

1Clinical Research, Nutricia Ltd, Trowbridge, 2Nutrition Team, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Coventry, 3Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Surrey, 4Nottinghamshire Home Enteral Feeding Team, Nottinham Univeristy Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, 5Home Enteral Tube Feeding/Community Rehabilitation Team, Brighouse Health Centre, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, Huddersfield, 6Home Enteral Tube Feeding Team, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Tyne and Wear, 7West Hampshire Enteral Nutrition Service, The Romsey Hospital, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Romsey, 8Home Enteral Nutrition Team, Waldron Health Centre, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, London, 9Home Enteral Tube Feed Service, Northern General Hospital, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, 10Nutrition and Dietetic Service, Harold Wood Clinic, North East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, 11Home Enteral Feeding Service, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Leicester, 12Dietetic Department, Worthing Hospital, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Worthing, 13Home Enteral Feeding Team, Dietetics, George Eliot Hospital, South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, Nuneaton, 14Home Enteral Feeding, Nutrition and Dietetic Services, Bishop Auckland Hospital, County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, Bishop Auckland, 15Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, 16Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom

 

Rationale: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) can be poor in adults receiving tube feeding. Use of bolus tube (BT) feeding is increasing in clinical practice allowing more flexibility and freedom, however current methods are often messy/burdensome. This study evaluated the effect of a multi-nutrient BT feed in a unique, small volume, squeezable pouch, on HRQoL.

Methods: Following a 7day baseline, 25 adult BT feeding patients (60y SD12 n=18 head and Neck cancer) received ≥1 pouch/d of the BT feeding pouch (250ml, 1.6kcal/ml, 8g protein/100ml; Nutrison Bolus Energy HP Nutricia Ltd, mean prescription 665ml/d) for 28 days. HRQoL was assessed at baseline and 28 days via the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Enteral Feeding (FACT-EF) QoL questionnaire, consisting of 20-items, each scored on a 5-point scale, with a total score range of 0-80.

Results: Compared to baseline BT feeding methods (80% syringe; 16% gravity; 4% pump), HRQoL significantly increased from 51 (SD13) to 58 (SD8) points (+7points, p<0.001). Overall, 18/20 questions showed improvements compared to baseline and 7/20 were statistically significant (p<0.05) with key themes of improved independence, hygiene and reduction of tube feeding constraints. Patients with the lowest HRQoL at baseline demonstrated the greatest improvements over time (lower quartile: range 19-40, n=6, +16points p=0.003; second quartile: range 47-53, n=6, +9points p=0.03). Older (age 50-76y), more active patients also showed significant improvements in HRQoL compared to baseline scores (p≤0.02).

Conclusion: Adults who are bolus tube feeding report improved health-related quality of life with use of a unique, squeezable bolus tube feeding pouch, especially those with low baseline scores. These findings may have important clinical implications for managing patients who choose or require bolus tube feeding.

Disclosure of Interest: I. Evans Other: Employed by Nutricia Ltd. , C. Griffen Other: Employed by Nutricia Ltd. , G. Hubbard Other: Employed by Nutricia Ltd. , N. Wyer: None declared, L. Allan: None declared, H. Meanwell: None declared, L. Green: None declared, C. Banks: None declared, L. Szymanski: None declared, S. Ogundere: None declared, F. Bhunnoo-Nadeem: None declared, G. Simpson: None declared, J. Bates: None declared, Y. Dube: None declared, C. Brooks: None declared, C. Lennon: None declared, N. Glanville: None declared, C. Crane: None declared, R. Capener Other: Employed by Nutricia Ltd. , R. Stratton Other: Employed by Nutricia Ltd.