Nutritional therapy of tumor patients before, during and after radiotherapy with a new promoter system--Nutromat
Thiel, H.J.; Reiss, C.
Infusionstherapie und Klinische Ernahrung 9(4): 162-164
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0378-0791 PMID: 6813262 Document Number: 183010
Nutrition and metabolism are vital functions just as respiration and cardio-vascular function which influence general well-being, physical and mental capacity, immunocompetence and wound healing. Malnutrition is a high-risk factor and carries a high morbidity and mortality. 30-50% of our patients nowadays are malnourished. Particularly tumor patients suffer from malnutrition which is still aggravated by radiotherapy and its side effects. Therefore the accompanying alimentary guidance and treatment are very important factors. A plan comprising several degrees from dietary guidance, forced oral and enteral nutrition to intravenous hyperalimentation has proved to be practicable. For the ambulatory radiotherapy of our ORL-patients, we have recently been applying a Nutromat, a promoter system operating according to the Bakey pump system and serving for continuous or discontinuous enteral nutrition therapy with formula or elementary diets. The authors describe principle and function of the device and present their first experiences. By using early and consequently this device for our irradiated patients, we hope to prevent or heal malnutrition, ameliorate the tolerance of tumor therapy and the patient's energy, increase the physical and psychical health, reduce the incidence of complications, reestablish the immunocompetence, and improve the survival and life quality of the patients.