Indicadores de qualidade em terapia nutricional de um hospital de nível terciário

Abstract

Introduction: Indicators of quality in nutritional therapy (IQTN) help to improve nutritional assistance through monitoring and improving the quality of the service provided and processes such as adequacy of nutritional therapy, minimizing negative hospital outcomes. There are few studies in the literature on the subject. The aim of this study was to describe the IQTN available in a nutritional therapy service at a tertiary hospital. Method: A retrospective study was carried out with IQTN data available from a nutritional therapy service and obtained from August to December 2021 with patients undergoing enteral nutritional therapy (ENT). The four IQTN available were: prescribed versus infused volume, energy and protein adequacy, and incidence of feeding tube loss. These IQTN were calculated from daily clinical and nutritional data of adult patients of both genders admitted to surgical and clinical wards who received ENT exclusively or associated with another form of nutrition (oral or parenteral). The targets were adapted based on scientific articles and assumptions made by the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI). Results: The average number of hospitalized patients was 1341/month, with 203 (15%) receiving ENT exclusively or associated with another route. Of these, 63.6% of the patients were male. Of the four indicators analyzed, two were in compliance, being the volume of enteral nutrition prescribed vs infused (mean adequacy 86.5%) and energy adequacy (mean adequacy 85.4%). The indicators that showed non-compliance were protein adequacy (mean 85.2%) and inadvertent exit of the feeding tube (mean 19%). Conclusion: There was compliance in 50% of the analyzed indicators (prescribed vs infused volume and energy adequacy). To optimize the quality of care, continuous training and standardization of routines related to nutritional therapy are necessary, reinforcing its importance for health professionals.