Nutrition analysis and support therapy for upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in elderly patients

Objective To analyze the nutritional status of 120 elderly patients with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and observe the effect and prognosis of early giving enteral nutrition support therapy for them. Methods Patients were randomly divided into early nutritional intervention group (n=60) and control group (n=60). Except for nutritional support,the patients in two groups received the same treatment for gastric acid inhibition and gastric mucosa protection. The patients were investigated by trained professionals with unified MNA-SF-assessment questionnaire to assess the nutritional status on admission. The early nutritional intervention group was given basic treatment, and then initiated nasogastric enteral nutrition 1 000~2 000 mL/d, one-time infusion or intermittent drip to give enteral nutrition therapy. Results In the 120 cases of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, 65 were with malnutrition, the rate being 54.17%, 36 with malnutrition risk, the rate being 30%,and 19 in normal nutritional status, the rate being 15.83%. In early nutritional intervention group, patients had a coffee-like vomitus incidence of 5.00%,which was significantly lower than the incidence of 18.33% in the control group. After the intervention, albumin, total protein, hemoglobin and platelet in early nutritional intervention group was markedly higher than before; serum potassium, clotting time, activated prothrombin time significantly less than before; while albumin, platelet and clotting time in the control group was higher than before, level of potassium was lower than before. After the intervention, potassium, albumin, total protein, hemoglobin and hematocrit in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group, while clotting time and activated LMprothrombin time was significantly lower than that in the control group. Conclusion Early rational and balanced enteral nutrition therapy can significantly improve the nutritional status of elderly patients with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and have a positive effect on the prognosis for the patients.