Clinical Outcomes of Enteral Feeding Protocol Via Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy: A Single‐Center, Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background The development of the endoscopic technique has resulted in an increasing number of patients undergoing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) insertion; however, the protocols for increasing the volume of feeding formula after PEG insertion have not been established. Therefore, we compared the clinical outcomes of patients receiving low‐ and high‐volume increase in enteral feeding formula. Methods A total of 215 patients who underwent PEG insertion between January 2016 and March 2019 were included. They were divided into 2 groups according to the increase in volume of feeding formula: the low‐volume group (n = 135) received ≤150 mL/d, and the high‐volume group (n = 80) received ≥300 mL/d. Patient characteristics, procedure, and feeding‐related clinical outcomes were retrospectively reviewed using medical records. Results The adverse events of the feeding protocol did not significantly differ between the 2 groups. The number of days needed to attain the calorie targets was significantly lower in the high‐volume group than in the low‐volume group (5.4 ± 3.0 vs 2.4 ± 1.5; P < .001). The duration of supplemental parenteral nutrition and the length of hospitalization were also significantly lower in the high‐volume group (3.9 ± 3.3 vs 1.2 ± 2.2; P < .001 and 5.8 ± 2.7 vs 4.6 ± 2.6; P = .007, respectively). Conclusion To rapidly attain the calorie targets in appropriately selected patients with PEG insertion, a high‐volume increase in daily feeding can safely be recommended given the favorable outcomes.