[Energy and vitamin requirements in long-term patients]

Chronically ill elderly patients who are unable to eat independently and often refuse food are threatened by malnutrition, even under conditions of long-term tube feeding. As the daily requirement of energy, protein, and vitamins varies according to the health of the patients, the higher need for food in conditions often seen in elderly patients such as decubital ulcers, infectious diseases, carcinomas, and after surgery should not be overlooked. The possibilities of modifying food supply require a knowledge of eating habits and of the exact composition of nutrients per volume of the preparation used for tube feeding.