Does intensive feeding improve nutritional status and outcome in acutely ill older in-patients?

ISRCTN	ISRCTN43554088
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN43554088
Secondary identifying numbers	RDC00891

Submission date: 23/01/2004
Registration date: 23/01/2004
Last edited: 12/01/2010

Recruitment status: No longer recruiting
Overall study status: Completed
Condition category: Other

Prospectively registered

Protocol

Statistical analysis plan

Results

Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Dr Gary Frost
Scientific

Hammersmith Hospital NHS Trust
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust
Ducane Road
London
W12 0HS
United Kingdom

Phone	+44 (0)20 8383 3948
Email	Gfrost@hhnt.org

Study information

Study design	Randomised controlled trial
Primary study design	Interventional
Secondary study design	Randomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)	Hospital
Study type	Other
Scientific title
Study objectives	Malnutrition has been estimated to cost the NHS £220 million a year because malnourished patients have longer hospital stays and increased morbidity. Malnutrition is particularly common in the elderly. Most intervention studies in this group have used liquid supplements but the results have been disappointing; even under surveillance, ill older patients often do not take enough supplement to improve their nutritional status. In routine clinical practice the situation is even worse because poor nutrition is often not recognised and compliance with supplements is even lower. Another approach is needed. This study examines whether health care assistants trained to provide support with all aspects of feeding can make a significant impact on nutritional intake and whether this improves outcome. The study is designed to determine: Does feeding support increase nutritional intake, lead to measurable changes in nutritional status (body mass index, arm circumference, serum albumin) and lead to improved outcome (infection rate, Barthel score, length of stay, readmission rate)?
Ethics approval(s)	Not provided at time of registration
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied	Acute illness
Intervention	1. Feeding support from health care assistants trained to provide support with all aspects of feeding 2. Standard care
Intervention type	Other
Primary outcome measure	The study is designed to see whether feeding support improves the nutritional status of patients to an extent it will have a positive day to day effect on function, the time patients require to become medically fit for discharge and length of stay.
Secondary outcome measures	Not provided at time of registration
Overall study start date	01/12/1997
Completion date	01/06/2000

Eligibility

Participant type(s)	Patient
Age group	Senior
Sex	Both
Target number of participants	1500
Key inclusion criteria	All patients over 65 admitted acutely to Medicine for the Elderly wards. Sample is estimate to be 750 people in each group.
Key exclusion criteria	1. Patients unable to take food orally (e.g. unconscious, severe dysphagia) 2. Not expected to survive the current admission 3. Patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater or equal to 25
Date of first enrolment	01/12/1997
Date of final enrolment	01/06/2000

Locations

Countries of recruitment

England
United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Hammersmith Hospital NHS Trust

London
W12 0HS
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

NHS R&D Regional Programme Register - Department of Health (UK)
Government

The Department of Health
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2NL
United Kingdom

Phone	+44 (0)20 7307 2622
Email	dhmail@doh.gsi.org.uk
Website	http://www.doh.gov.uk

Funders

Funder type

Government

NHS Executive London (UK)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share	No
IPD sharing plan summary	Not provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination plan	Not provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type	Details	Date created	Date added	Peer reviewed?	Patient-facing?
Results article	results	01/02/2004		Yes	No