Comparison of long-term outcomes between enteral nutrition via gastrostomy and total parenteral nutrition in older persons with dysphagia: A propensity-matched cohort study

Background: The long-term outcomes of artificial nutrition in older people with dysphagia remain uncertain. Enteral nutrition via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is one of the major methods of artificial nutrition. Enteral feeding is indicated for patients with a functional gastrointestinal tract. However, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is often inappropriately chosen for artificial nutrition in Japan, even in patients with a functional gastrointestinal tract, as PEG has recently been viewed as an unnecessary life-prolonging treatment in Japan. This study aimed to compare the long-term outcomes between PEG and TPN.

Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study investigated long-term outcomes in older patients with dysphagia who received PEG or TPN between January 2014 and January 2017. The primary outcome was survival time. Secondary outcomes were oral intake recovery, discharge to home, and the incidence of severe pneumonia and sepsis. We performed 1-to-1 propen...