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

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.