2022 Volume 17 Issue 3 Pages 97-104
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate nutritional problems in cancer patients and effectiveness of Palliative Care Team Dietitians. Methods: We retrospectively surveyed cancer patients who received the nutrition support. We evaluated (1) nutritional problems and the details of nutrition support from Palliative Care Team Dietitians at the start of our intervention, (2) the degree of “Eating-related Distress” before and after our intervention using the Verbal Rating Scale (VRS), and (3) energy intake. Results: Patient age (median) was 67 years, (1) “Insufficient energy intake” was the most common nutritional problem at the start of our intervention (56 cases) and “arrangement of meal forms” was the most common intervention(53 cases), (2) dietary difficulty improved in VRS (median) 3 to 2, and (3) energy intake was increased from 753±552 kcal to 926±522 kcal/day (p<0.01) after our intervention. Discussion: The results suggested that Palliative Care Team Dietitians intervention could reduce dietary distress and increase energy intake.
