• Sylvia Kuo, Ramona L Rhodes, Susan L Mitchell, Vincent Mor, and Joan M Teno.
• The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
• J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2009 May 1;10(4):264-70.

ObjectivesDespite the evidence that feeding-tube use in persons with advanced dementia is not associated with improved outcomes, there remains striking variation in their use. Yet, little is known about the national incidence of feeding-tube insertions, the circumstances of their insertion, and post-insertion health care use.DesignSecondary analysis of Minimum Data Set merged onto Medicare Claims Files.Setting And ParticipantsNursing home residents (NHR) without a feeding tube.MeasurementsNHR were followed for up to 1 year to see whether a feeding tube was inserted and then followed for 1 year after insertion to examine health care use and survival.ResultsThe incidence of feeding-tube insertion was 53.6/1000 residents. Most (68.1%) feeding-tube insertions were performed in an acute care hospital with the most common reasons for admission being pneumonia, dehydration, and dysphagia. One year post-insertion mortality was 64.1% with median survival of 56 days. Within 1 year, 19.3% of those who had a feeding tube inserted required a tube replacement or repositioning within a median 145 days after the initial insertion. Over 1 year, tube feeding was associated with an average of 9.1 hospitalized days per person, 1.0 hospitalizations, 0.3 emergency room visits that did not result in a hospital admission.ConclusionMost feeding tubes are inserted in an acute care hospital. Feeding-tube insertions are also associated with poor survival and significant rate of health care use after insertion.

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