Abstract
AIM: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube is an important method of enteral feeding for patients who require temporary or long-term artificial nutritional support to prevent or correct disease-related malnutrition. However, there is paucity of data on the utility of short-term PEG tube placements in acute illnesses in cognitively intact older adults. METHODS: We present a series of seven, cognitively intact patients (age range 72-93 years), who had PEG tubes placed for short periods. These patients were diagnosed with "failure to thrive" and were managed by placing a PEG tube temporarily for nutritional management. None of these patients had terminal illness or hospice eligibility, and all of the patients were community dwellers. RESULTS: All of the elderly patients experienced good outcomes in terms of their functional status and nutritional support. CONCLUSIONS: Our series clearly supports the notion that short-term PEG tube placement in cognitively intact elderly patients could be a successful strategy to support them during an episode of acute illness, and to improve their nutritional deficits and survival.