OBJECTIVE: To asses the adequacy of enteral diet, in terms of micronutrients and energy and to identify factors that interfere in the progression of enteral diets prescribed to adults hospitalized in a high complexity general hospital. METHODS: From June 2004 to May 2005, adult patients hospitalized in a high complexity hospital, in Southern Brazil, were assessed in terms of enteral diet prescription and clinical characteristics. The characteristics of the enteral nutrition were assessed and compared with the recommended daily intakes, obtaining percentages of nutrient adequacy of the enteral diet. Factors associated with energy prescription were identified by multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty tube-fed patients were followed. The dietary reference intakes were satisfatory met for water-soluble vitamins (except for folic acid), fat-soluble vitamins (except for vitamin D) and minerals (except for calcium). The mean initial energy prescription was 24.0 kcal/kg/day (standard deviation=10.8, minimum and maximum values ranging from 4.3 to 69.2kcal/kg/day) and progressed to 28.4kcal/kg/day (standard deviation=11.8, minimum and maximum values ranging from 1.4 to 69.2kcal/kg/day).The recommendation of 25 to 35kcal/kg/day was prescribed to 32.6% of patients. Forty or more kcal/kg/day was presuibed to 15.7% of the patients. Only body mass index and the number of hospital stay days, adjusted to the energy prescribed at the beginning, were independently associated with the final energy prescription. CONCLUSION: A small proportion of the prescriptions were adequate in terms of Kcal/kg/day, and the progression of enteral diet occurs regardless of the clinical characteristics of the patients.
Adult; Diet therapy; Enteral nutrition; Nutrition therapy
