Scrofuloderma--a case series from rural India

Cutaneous tuberculosis is the rarest presentation of all the forms of tuberculosis. Scrofuloderma is a frequent manifestation of cutaneous tuberculosis in Indian scenario. Males are affected one and half times more than females. The most common affected age group showing clinical infection is within the first three decades of life. A series of cases mostly malnourished children attending a tertiary care centre in a rural area of central India is being reported. They have presented with a wide spectrum of clinical features, forcing us to establish the final diagnosis by Mantoux test, fine needle aspiration cytology and histopathological examination. The mainstay of treatment remains medical therapy but the underlying cause for severe immunosuppression needs to be ruled out and treated.

A prospective study of nutrition education and oral nutritional supplementation in patients with Alzheimer's disease

BACKGROUND

Weight loss in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common clinical manifestation that may have clinical significance.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate if there is a difference between nutrition education and oral nutritional supplementation on nutritional status in patients with AD.

METHODS

A randomized, prospective 6-month study which enrolled 90 subjects with probable AD aged 65 years or older divided into 3 groups: Control Group (CG) [n = 27], Education Group (EG) [n = 25], which participated in an education program and Supplementation Group (SG) [n = 26], which received two daily servings of oral nutritional supplementation. Subjects were assessed for anthropometric data (weight, height, BMI, TSF, AC and AMC), biochemical data (total protein, albumin, and total lymphocyte count), CDR (Clinical Dementia Rating), MMSE (Mini-mental state examination), as well as dependence during meals.

RESULTS

The SG showed a significant improvement in the following anthropometric measurements: weight (H calc = 22.12, p =< 0.001), BMI (H calc = 22.12, p =< 0.001), AC (H calc = 12.99, p =< 0.002), and AMC (H calc = 8.67, p =< 0.013) compared to the CG and EG. BMI of the EG was significantly greater compared to the CG. There were significant changes in total protein (H calc = 6.17, p =< 0.046), and total lymphocyte count in the SG compared to the other groups (H cal = 7.94, p = 0.019).

CONCLUSION

Oral nutritional supplementation is more effective compared to nutrition education in improving nutritional status.

Nutrition and inflammatory bowel disease: primary or adjuvant therapy

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Our understanding of the importance of nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) continues to improve. With increasing evidence or cumulative evidence, this article reviews the current data for the role of nutrition in IBD pathogenesis, disease exacerbation and its use in the treatment of IBD in a clinically relevant context.

RECENT FINDINGS

Irritable bowel syndrome and obesity prevalence is rising, and is increasingly being recognized in patients with IBD. Exclusive enteral nutrition remains highly relevant because of its efficacy and superior side-effect profile, even when considered against new pharmacological treatments, but requires patient motivation. We are now beginning to understand the importance of micronutrients such as iron and vitamin D, which may not only alter the bowel flora but also have an immune-modulatory effect. More recently, a prebiotic and probiotic combination has been used in a randomized trial for the treatment of IBD.

SUMMARY

Macronutrient and micronutrient assessment should be an essential part of nutritional assessment of all patients with IBD. Although research is needed to further our understanding of the immune-modulatory effects of nutrients and supplements, better and more effective therapies combining nutrition and drug treatments like immune-suppressants should be explored.

Perioperative nutritional management in digestive tract surgery

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This article reviews the recent research on perioperative nutrition in digestive tract surgery in the light of modern perioperative care principles, that is, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). Four major directions of research emerge: detecting malnutrition, perioperative hyperglycemia/insulin resistance, enteral/parenteral nutrition and immunonutrition.

RECENT FINDINGS

For preoperative nutritional screening/assessment, current data cannot single out superiority for SGA questionnaire, nutritional risk score, Reilly's nutritional risk score or nutritional risk index in the ability to predict nutrition-related complications. The use of ERAS elements to reduce surgical stress and preclude postoperative insulin resistance has recently been clearly linked to reductions in adverse outcomes. There are specific situations in which enteral nutrition is contraindicated and criterias for preoperative and postoperative parenteral nutrition in undernourished patients are defined in guidelines recently available. Several controlled randomized studies and systematic reviews indicate that immune nutrition formulas reduce both morbidity and length of stay after major abdominal surgery.

SUMMARY

To reduce surgical stress, insulin resistance, unnecessary protein losses and postoperative complications, the use of an ERAS protocol is important. Current data shows that the use of perioperative immunonutrition diets for major abdominal surgery is beneficial. Further research on nutritional assessment tools to predict who is at risk for postoperative complications is needed.

Self-management education for cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Self-management education may help patients with cystic fibrosis and their families to choose, monitor and adjust treatment requirements for their illness, and also to manage the effects of illness on their lives. Although self-management education interventions have been developed for cystic fibrosis, no previous systematic review of the evidence of effectiveness of these interventions has been conducted.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of self-management education interventions on improving health outcomes for patients with cystic fibrosis and their caregivers

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group Trials Register (date of the last search: 23 February 2011).We also searched databases through EBSCO (CINAHL; Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Collection; PsychInfo; SocINDEX) and Elsevier (EMBASE) and handsearched relevant journals and conference proceedings (date of the last searches: 30th March 2011).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials, quasi-randomised controlled trials or controlled clinical trials comparing different types of self-management education for cystic fibrosis or comparing self-management education with standard care or no intervention.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors assessed trial eligibility and risk of bias. Three authors extracted data.

MAIN RESULTS

Four trials (involving a total of 269 participants) were included. The participants were children with cystic fibrosis and their parents or caregivers in three trials and adults with cystic fibrosis in one trial. The trials compared four different self-management education interventions versus standard treatment: (1) a training programme for managing cystic fibrosis in general; (2) education specific to aerosol and airway clearance treatments; (3) disease-specific nutrition education; and (4) general and disease-specific nutrition education. Training children to manage cystic fibrosis in general had no statistically significant effects on weight after six to eight weeks, mean difference -7.74 lb (95% confidence interval -35.18 to 19.70). General and disease-specific nutrition education for adults had no statistically significant effects on: pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume at one second), mean difference -5.00 % (95% confidence interval -18.10 to 8.10) at six months and mean difference -5.50 % (95% confidence interval -18.46 to 7.46) at 12 months; or weight, mean difference - 0.70 kg (95% confidence interval -6.58 to 5.18) at six months and mean difference -0.70 kg (95% confidence interval -6.62 to 5.22) at 12 months; or dietary fat intake scores, mean difference 1.60 (85% confidence interval -2.90 to 6.10) at six months and mean difference 0.20 (95% confidence interval -4.08 to 4.48) at 12 months. There is some limited evidence to suggest that self-management education may improve knowledge in patients with cystic fibrosis but not in parents or caregivers. There is also some limited evidence to suggest that self-management education may result in positively changing a small number of behaviours in both patients and caregivers.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The available evidence from this review is of insufficient quantity and quality to draw any firm conclusions about the effects of self-management education for cystic fibrosis. Further trials are needed to investigate the effects of self-management education on a range of clinical and behavioural outcomes in children, adolescents and adults with cystic fibrosis and their caregivers.

Monitoring of protein catabolism in neonates and young infants post-cardiac surgery

AIMS

To evaluate cell catabolism by balance of nitrogen and phosphate, and creatinine excretion in children post-cardiac surgery; to establish protein and energy requirements to minimize catabolism; and to assess nutritional therapy by following these parameters and serial anthropometric measurements.

METHODS

A prospective observational study of children with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery. Blood samples and 24-h urine collections were obtained postoperatively for creatinine measurement and nitrogen and phosphate balance. Anthropometric measurements (weight, mid-arm muscle circumference and triceps skinfold thickness) were obtained preoperatively and at paediatric intensive care unit and hospital discharge.

RESULTS

Eleven children were studied for 3-10 postoperative days. Anabolism was associated with higher protein and energy intakes compared to catabolism (1.1 vs. 0.1 g/kg/day and 54 vs. 17 kcal/kg/day, respectively). On days with anabolism, phosphate balance was greater compared with that on days with catabolism. Daily creatinine excretion did not correlate with protein balance. Anthropometric measurements did not change significantly over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery achieved anabolism with >55 kcal/kg/day and >1 g/kg/day of protein. Balance of phosphate was useful to monitor cell breakdown. Anthropometric measurements were not valuable to evaluate nutritional therapy in this population.

Nutrition care in general practice - are we waiting for patients to ask?

General practitioner encounters for chronic disease management increased considerably between 1998 and 2008. In particular, patients presenting for the management of hypertension increased from 8.3 to 9.9 per 100 encounters; type 2 diabetes mellitus from 2.6 to 3.7 per 100 encounters; and lipid disorders from 2.5 to 3.7 per 100 encounters. In 2010, chronic disease management was estimated to comprise over one-third of the average GP's consultation workload.

Improving outcomes in patients with cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common fatal inherited disease in Caucasian people. Inheritance follows an autosomal recessive pattern. Recent data indicate that there are more than 9,000 patients with CF in the UK. At a cellular level there is an abnormal CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a protein essential for chloride and sodium homoeostasis, caused by a mutation in the CF gene. The consequence of this abnormal protein is thick, viscous secretions in the lungs and GI tract, which lead to recurrent lung infections and pancreatic insufficiency with intestinal malabsorption. Most patients present in early childhood with classic CF. They show one or more of the typical CF phenotypic characteristics (chronic pulmonary disease, GI symptoms and malabsorption, nutritional abnormalities and sinus disease). A minority of patients have atypical CF. They tend to present at an older age, often in adulthood, are mainly pancreatic sufficient, have milder disease and a better prognosis. When CF is suspected the diagnosis can be confirmed by measuring sweat chloride concentration and by looking for CFTR mutations. Immunoreactive trypsinogen is measured in blood taken from a heel prick in all neonates, and is a marker of pancreatic injury consistent with (but not specific for) CF.

Attitudes and beliefs related to the Canadian critical care nutrition practice guidelines: an international survey of critical care physicians and dietitians

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of critical care practitioners toward the Canadian Critical Care Nutrition Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) and compare them with actual practice.

METHODS

An international Web-based survey was conducted. Respondents were asked to rate their strength of recommendation for 26 nutrition practices included in the Canadian CPGs. Attitudinal results were compared with actual practice on each recommendation.

RESULTS

514 practitioners from 27 countries completed the survey. The majority (91.4%) considered nutrition therapy to be very important for critically ill patients. There was strong endorsement for the following established practices: enteral nutrition (EN) used in preference to parenteral nutrition (PN), use of polymeric solutions and feeding protocols, and avoiding hyperglycemia. There was also strong endorsement for the following practices that are not routinely done in actual practice: EN initiated within 24 to 48 hours of admission, use of motility agents, head-of-bed elevation, use of glutamine and antioxidants, and maximizing EN before starting PN. There was diversity of opinion on the recommendations pertaining to arginine-supplemented diets, small bowel feeding, use of pharmaconutrients, intensive insulin therapy, and withholding soybean oil lipids in PN solutions and hypocaloric PN.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, attitudes toward the Canadian CPGs were positive. However, we identified some areas where there was diversity of opinion, highlighting a need for further research and education. System tools may be a useful strategy to integrate guideline recommendations into practice where there is strong endorsement but the recommendation is not happening in actual practice.

Nutrition therapy and the management of obesity and diabetes: an update

Diabetes and obesity have each become a national health crisis in recent years. The number of people who have diabetes and prediabetes continues to grow with a predicted number of 336 million people worldwide with type 2 diabetes by 2030. The prevalence of diabetes has risen in parallel with the increased prevalence of obesity. The optimal nutrition therapy for the treatment of both diabetes and obesity remains controversial. Health care practitioners are no longer solely prescribing the conventional low-fat, higher-carbohydrate diet approach that was used for over a decade. Lower-carbohydrate, higher-fat, or higher-protein diets are now being viewed as equally or sometimes more effective treatment plans for diabetes and obesity. In addition, there are other aspects of diet beyond macronutrient composition that are currently being investigated. This article will summarize research conducted over the past 2 years examining medical nutrition therapy for diabetes and obesity. It will also describe the unique challenges that come with treating this patient population.

Physical activity and nutrition health promotion interventions: what is working for people with intellectual disabilities?

A scoping review of studies on physical activity and nutrition health promotion interventions for individuals with intellectual disabilities was conducted. Searches included MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases from 1986 through July 2006. The final number included 11 articles comprising 12 studies. Generally, this review indicated some evidence for fitness and psychosocial benefits of community-based physical activity and exercise programs for adults with intellectual disabilities. When combined with a more comprehensive health behavior education program incorporating exercise and nutrition information, some evidence exists for reductions in weight.

Teaching nutrition integration: MUST screening in cancer

RATIONALE

Nutritional risk screening should be routine in order to select patients in need of nutrition care; this conduct change has to rely on education. In this project, radiotherapy department health professionals were trained on how to use the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), to foster its integration into cancer outpatient management; we also aimed to identify those more adherent to screening.

METHODS

Research dieticians (the standard) conducted interactive sessions with all physicians, nurses, and radiotherapy (RT) technicians, who were closely supervised to facilitate routine MUST integration. There were two phases: after the first session, phase 1 assessed 200 patients over 4 months; after the second session, phase 2 screened 450 patients, always before RT. Validity was evaluated comparing results from the standard against all other health professionals, adjusted for number.

RESULTS

RT technicians were most adherent to the MUST: 80% of patients in phase 1, increasing to 85% in phase 2. Nurses doubled their input, from 19% to 36%. Physicians had poor MUST integration, yet they progressively incorporated percentage weight loss into patient records, increasing from 57% in phase 1 to 84% in phase 2, independently of diagnosis and stage. The highest concordance (κ coefficient) with dieticians was found with RT technicians' use of the MUST (p < .002) and percentage weight loss determination by physicians (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

We show that systematic screening in cancer is feasible by all professionals involved, once a proximity teaching project is put into practice. RT technicians, who daily treat patients, were highly adherent to integrate the MUST and might be in charge of selecting at-risk patients. Physicians are unlikely to use the MUST, but acknowledged nutrition value and changed their routine by integrating recent percentage weight loss into their approach to patients. Our structured methodology may be used as a model for the development of teaching adapted to different departments with other realities.

The evidence for medical nutrition therapy for type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults

This article reviews the evidence and nutrition practice recommendations from the American Dietetic Association's nutrition practice guidelines for type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults. The research literature was reviewed to answer nutrition practice questions and resulted in 29 recommendations. Here, we present the recommendations and provide a comprehensive and systematic review of the evidence associated with their development. Major nutrition therapy factors reviewed are carbohydrate (intake, sucrose, non-nutritive sweeteners, glycemic index, and fiber), protein intake, cardiovascular disease, and weight management. Contributing factors to nutrition therapy reviewed are physical activity and glucose monitoring. Based on individualized nutrition therapy client/patient goals and lifestyle changes the client/patient is willing and able to make, registered dietitians can select appropriate interventions based on key recommendations that include consistency in day-to-day carbohydrate intake, adjusting insulin doses to match carbohydrate intake, substitution of sucrose-containing foods, usual protein intake, cardioprotective nutrition interventions, weight management strategies, regular physical activity, and use of self-monitored blood glucose data. The evidence is strong that medical nutrition therapy provided by registered dietitians is an effective and essential therapy in the management of diabetes.

[The trial of the domiciliary nutrition support team in which a home medical care office offers]

The function of home care support by a medical office is to offer the best medical care for the patient. It is essential that the medical office is capable of taking a call 24-hour a day and 365-day a year from a patient who needs help at home. Our medical office was specialized in home care treatment. Furthermore, we offer a home rehabilitation or a home nutrition education to the patient. On the other hand, a nutritional support is important as well as medical supports. To offer a high quality medical care at home, we created a nutrient support system in our hospital, and formed an at-home nutrition support team(at-home NST). The team is consisted of a medical staff and dietitian, a physical therapist and a speech therapist. As a result of the at-home NST, We improved the followings: (1) we were able to collect a nutritional data basis including a patient 's height and weight, (2) we made a good use of patient's eating habit at home during the medical treatment, and (3) we could make a good use of medical service to a home care patient by managing the information accumulated by nutritional surveillance. In multidisciplinary collaboration, at-home NST can grasp a versatility status of the patient positively. We continue to offer a medical care that is demanded from a home care patient because the activity of the at-home NST raises a quality of medical service we provide.

Food insecurity in the context of HIV/AIDS: a framework for a new era of programming

BACKGROUND

Food insecurity can be both a consequence and a driver of HIV/AIDS. It is often difficult to disentangle these two roles of food insecurity, since the HIV epidemic has different drivers in different settings. The advent of antiretroviral treatment in resource-limited settings adds an additional layer of complexity. This paper seeks to organize current thinking by reviewing the existing literature on food insecurity and HIV/AIDS and describing the complex interactions between them.

OBJECTIVE

Based on literature review, the paper proposes a framework to understand the linkages, distinguishing four types of interventions to address them. It is hoped that the model, albeit simplified as is any framework, will help to structure research, policy, and programming in the field of HIV/AIDS and food insecurity. Finally, the paper intends to widen the lens to regard food not just as a means to provide calories or an income transfer but also as a carrier of adequate nutrition in the context of HIV.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

An adequate response to HIV/AIDS and food insecurity must be tailored to specific settings. Interventions distinguished in this paper are aimed at both promoting food security and providing antiretroviral treatment and nutrition support. The four types of interventions are containing HIV and preventing AIDS through comprehensive treatment regimes that include nutritional support; mitigating the effects of AIDS through support; providing HIV-sensitive, but not HIV-exclusive, safety nets at the individual, household, and community levels; and limiting the exposure to risk through HIV prevention activities.

Efficacy of nutrition counseling in young people with diabetes

AIM

The aim of this study is to investigate if a non-prescriptive diet plan in young children with type 1 diabetes mellitus is unfavourable in comparison with classic prescriptive diet plan, paying particular attention to glycemic control, lipid profile and body mass index.

METHODS

We carried out a longitudinal and 8-year retrospective study based on a well-defined cohort of children aged < 18 years with type 1 diabetes followed-up every three months from our Unit beginning from 1999 to 2007. The study included a total of 49 patients with type 1 diabetes aged 16-19 years, the mean duration of diabetes was 13 +/- 4 years. During the study all the patients continued to receive flexible multiple daily injection insulin therapy according to basal-bolus plan. In order to investigate the lipid profile we collected total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels once a year and to asses the metabolic control in diabetic patients, blood samples were collected for assay of HbA1c every three months all years during the study.

RESULTS

No abnormalities about lipid profile were observed during the analysed years. LDL, HDL, total cholesterol and triglyceride values were normal and their trend was uniform and lower than the normal range of general people.

CONCLUSIONS

These outcomes showed no differences between diabetics and normal people at risk to develop metabolic alterations. Non-prescriptive diet plan in children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is not unfavourable in comparison with classic prescriptive diet-plan, in particular with regard to the metabolic control which reflect the international data of reference.

Addressing tuberculosis in the context of malnutrition and HIV coinfection

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis is the second leading cause of infectious disease mortality (1.8 million/year), after HIV/AIDS. There are more than 9 million new cases each year. One-third of the world's population, and 50% of adults in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and South-East Asia, are infected, representing an enormous pool of individuals at risk for developing the disease. The situation is complicated by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, widespread undernutrition, smoking, diabetes, increased mobility, and emergence of multi- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE

To review the scientific evidence about the interactions among tuberculosis, nutrition, and HIV coinfection.

RESULTS

HIV infection and malnutrition lower immunity, increasing the risk of reactivation tuberculosis and primary progressive disease. Having either tuberculosis or HIV infection causes weight loss. Malnutrition markedly increases mortality among both tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS patients and should be treated concurrently with treatment of the infections. Tuberculosis treatment is a prerequisite for nutritional recovery, in addition to intake of nutrients required for rebuilding tissues, which is constrained in food-insecure households. Additional pharmaceutical treatment to reduce the catabolic impact of inflammation or promote growth may be needed. Specific nutrients can contribute to faster sputum smear clearance, which is important for reducing transmission, as well as faster weight gain when combined with an adequate diet. Adequate nutrition and weight gain in undernourished populations might reduce the incidence of tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS; The many risk factors for the development of tuberculosis need to be addressed simultaneously, especially HIV/AIDS and food insecurity and undernutrition. For stronger evidence-based guidelines, existing recommendations and clinical applications need to be more widely applied and evaluated.

Developing a magnetic sign system to ensure patients receive appropriate nutritional care

The Department of Health has acknowledged that at times patients are not receiving the correct nutritional care to support them to eat and drink. Nutritional link nurses at Milton Keynes Hospital Foundation Trust developed a tool to ensure that all staff, patients and relatives were aware opatients' current andcorrect nutritional status.