Long-Term Survival of Patients Receiving Artificial Nutrition in Japanese Psychiatric Hospitals

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Most patients with dementia suffer from dysphagia in the terminal stage of the disease. In Japan, most elderly patients with dysphagia receive either tube feeding or total parenteral nutrition. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the factors determining longer survival with artificial nutrition. Various clinical characteristics of 168 inpatients receiving artificial nutrition without oral intake in psychiatric hospitals in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, were evaluated. RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the duration of artificial nutrition was associated with a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube, diagnosis of mental disorder, low MMSE score, and absence of decubitus. CONCLUSION: Patients with mental disorders survived longer than those with dementia diseases on artificial nutrition. A PEG tube and good nutrition seem to be important for long-term survival.