2021 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pages 11-19
Background: A national registered dietitian has been placed on the head and neck cancer ward at our hospital to provide nutritional management since September 2013. Here, we investigated changes in patients’ weight loss and energy sufficiency before and after the dietitian’s placement.
Methods: Ninety-one patients were included in this study (74 men, 17 women; age 64.6±9.8 years). Patients were admitted to department of otolaryngology at our hospital and stayed for 14 days or longer during the period from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014. Rates of weight loss and energy sufficiency were compared for patients before (n=46) and after (n=45) the dietitian’s placement on the ward.
Results: The weight loss rate was decreased significantly after placement (4.9%±4.7%) compared with before placement (7.1%±4.9%, p=0.029). Moreover, the energy sufficiency rate at discharge was increased significantly after placement (87±27%) compared with before it (71±30%, p=0.011).
Conclusion: Placement of a national registered dietitian on a ward may help to increase energy sufficiency and reduce weight loss in patients with head and neck cancer.
