[Registry of home-based enteral nutrition in Spain for the year 2006 (NADYA-SENPE Group)]

To communicate the results obtained from the registry of Home-Based Enteral Nutrition (HBEN) of the NADYA-SENPE group for the year 2006.

Recompilation of the data from the HBEN registry of the NADYA-SENPE group from January 1st to December 31st of 2006.

During the year 2006, 3,921 patients (51% men) from 27 hospital centers were registered. Ninety-seven percent were older than 14 years. The mean age for those < 14 years was 4.9 +/- 3.9 (m +/- SD) and in those > or = 14 years, it was 68.5 +/- 18.2 years. The most common underlying disease was neurological pathology (42%), followed by cancer (28%). Enteral nutrition was administered p.o. in 44% of the patients, through nasogastric tube in 40%, gastrostomy in 14%, and jejunostomy in 1%. The average time of nutritional support was 8.8 months. The most common reasons for ending the therapy were patient's death (54%) and switching to oral feeding (32%). Thirty-one percent of the patients presented a limited activity and 40% were confined to bed/coach. Most of the patients required partial (25%) or total (43%) care assistance. The nutritional formula was provided by the hospital in 62% of the cases and from the reference pharmacy in 27%. The fungible material was provided by the hospital in 80% of the cases and by primary care in the remaining patients.

Although the number of registered patients is slightly higher than that from the last years, there are no important changes in the patients characteristics, or way of administration and duration of enteral nutrition.