[Review of our home nutrition therapy cases]

We provided a home care service to 118 patients from December 1996 to December 2007. One hundred three of 118 patients (87.3%) suffered from malignant disease. We had 90 patients on HPN and 4 patients on HEN using PEG. Home anti-cancer chemotherapy was performed for 29 patients. Most of the patients in our home care suffered from malignant disease, and they were maintained to protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM), so it is important to continue a home care nutrition therapy for survival and QOL advantages. Also, it is important for patient undergoing anti-cancer chemotherapy to maintain a good nutrition for avoiding a complication and to have a continuous chemotherapy. In our home nutrition therapy cases, HPN consisted of large number because of many digestive cancer patients existed, so HEN could not be used. In the case of HEN practicable that is first choice in home care nutrition, the other HPN was suitable for a pain control of terminal state patients. It is important for HPN to educate and to teach how to manage a patient cleanly and to teach a caregiver how to use a portable pump. We intended to simplify the content of infusion for patients, and to change the volume according to the patient status. HEN cases could be performed safely and for a long-term practice by a caregiver.