Thursday, 21 September 2017

The Elderly with Pressure Ulcer in Household: What has Dealing with Nutrients and Immunonutrients Shown?



The objective of this study was to research the use of nutrients and immunonutrients in household nutritional therapy for elderly patients with pressure ulcer (PU). Methods: A literature review of scientific articles indexed in databases: Scielo, Pubmed/Medline, Lilacs/Bireme Latindex, Elsevier and DOAJ, in Portuguese, English and Spanish, with emphasis in the last 10 years. Results: Six types of hyperproteic dietary supplement were identified, enriched with special nutrients such as zinc, selenium, vitamin A, C, E, arginine and omega-3 fatty acid, used in PU patients. The enriched formulas may increase the immune cells proliferation, reduce oxidative stress, decrease inflammation and optimize healing. Conclusion: The home nutrition therapy and nutrients are essential tools to treat and prevent nutritional deficiencies and possible complications, and reintegrate the elderly into his/her family nucleus, favoring comfort and quality of life.

The representation of the elderly in the world population is estimated at approximately 10% (705 millions). In 2050, according to demographic projections, the number of people aged 60 and older, will be almost two billions. The aging fragility associated with morbid conditions such as changes in mobility, neurological and mental status, bowel functions and nutritional status are characteristics of a prone population to the formation, recurrence and complication for pressure ulcers (PU). The PUs are a worldwide problem and are described as localized lesions of the skin and/or underlying tissue, usually over a prominent bone, caused by pressure, friction or shearing, or even by combining these factors. In addition to worsen the quality of life of hospitalized patients, PU increases the length of stay and cost of treatment. In this context, home care emerges as a strategy able to offer greater possibility of comfort and proximity to family, to reduce readmissions, the risk of infection, the hospital stay for treatment and rehabilitation and the costs of care.

Simultaneously with the emergence of home care, wide and multidisciplinary care model, Home Nutrition Therapy (HNT) materialized as a genre of growing expansion to the present day. The HNT began to stand out in the 1980s and since then is a greater tendency to proceed with hospital care at home. The aim of this study was to review the literature on the use of nutrients and immunonutrients used in household nutritional therapy for elderly patients with pressure ulcer.This study consists of a literature review on the topic, using indexed scientific articles in: Scielo, Pubmed/Medline, Lilacs/ Bireme Latindex, Elsevier and DOAJ - Directory of Open Access Journals, in Portuguese, English and Spanish, with emphasis on the last 10 years, using the following descriptors: home care, nutritional therapy, elderly, pressure ulcer.

No comments:

Post a Comment