Evaluación de la actividad asistencial de un equipo multidisciplinario de soporte nutricional en el seguimiento de la nutrición parenteral total Assessment of activity of care of a nutritional support multidiciplinary team in the follow-up of total parenteral nutrition

INTRODUCCIÓN: En la Nutrición Parenteral Total (NPT) los equipos multidisciplinarios de soporte nutricional (EMSN) deben proporcionar una asistencia nutricional de calidad basada en la evidencia y en el seguimiento diario de los pacientes sometidos a NPT. Objetivos: Evaluar el grado de cumplimiento de los estándares de calidad en la asistencia prestada a los pacientes con NPT por parte del EMSN en dos períodos anuales sucesivos, de acuerdo con indicadores de estructura, proceso y resultado previamente definidos en el protocolo de trabajo del equipo. PACIENTES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio prospectivo de todos los pacientes que recibieron NPT en nuestro centro (hospital general docente con 421 camas) durante el año 2002 y durante el año 2003, utilizando los datos introducidos en NUTRIDATA© mediante el seguimiento diario de las condiciones clínicas, analíticas y complicaciones nutricionales y no nutricionales, comparando ambos períodos y considerando un nivel de significación de p INTRODUCTION: In total parenteral nutrition (TPN) nutritional support multidisciplinary teams (NSMT) must provide a high quality nutritional assistance based on evidence and daily follow-up of patients with TPN. Objectives: To assess the degree of adherence to quality standards of care provided to patients on TPN by the NSMT in two consecutive annual periods,according to structure, procedure, and outcomes indicators, previously defined in the team working protocol. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective study of all patients that received TPN at our Center (421-bed general teaching hospital) during the years 2002 and 2003, using the data introduced in NUTRIDATA® by daily follow-up of clinical and analytical conditions, and nutritional and non-nutritional complications, comparing both periods and considering an statistical significance level of p <0.05. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-three patients and 145 patients received TPN during 2002 and 2003(65.9% male), respectively, with similar parameters of gender, age, indications for TPN, baseline nutritional status, mean nutritional supply, and non-nutritional complications. As to the different quality indicators established in the comparative study, we found a significant improvement in 2003 vs. 2002 in relation to initial anthropometrical assessment (71.03% vs 51.53%; p < 0.001), initial biochemical assessment (97.93% vs. 92.63%; p < 0.04), performance of systematic monitoring analysis (84.83% vs. 71.78%; p < 0.01), hypernatremia incidence (8.27% vs. 15.34%; p = 0.05) and moderate hyperphosphatemia (26.89% vs.40.49%; p < 0.02), TPN ending for clinical improve ment (76.60% vs. 64.40%; p = 0.04), and reduction of days on TPN (15.74 &plusmn; 20.43 vs. 11.88 &plusmn; 8.34; p < 0.02), the impaired electrolyte levels significantly improving as a whole. We also observed a non-significant trend towards an improvement of adequacy of TPN indications, hyperphosphatemia, severe hypophosphatemia, total stay, and post-surgical stay, in 2003 vs. 2002. CONCLUSIONS: The NSMT experience shows that analysis of indicators based on quality standards, in two successive annual periods allows assessing the improvement of efficiency of nutritional intervention in hospital-admitted patients with TPN with regards to indication, assessment, follow-up, and course