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a Division of Geriatric Medicine, Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
b Clinical Epidemiology Unit at the Loeb Health Research Institute, Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Susan L. Mitchell, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged, 1200 Centre Street, Boston, MA 02131 E-mail: smitchell{at}mail.hrca.harvard.edu.
Decision Editor: William B. Ershler, MD
Background.
The prolongation of life is an important consideration in the decision to initiate long-term tube feeding. This report critically synthesizes the evidence regarding the impact of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement on survival in older persons.
Methods.
A systematic search was conducted using MEDLINE from January 1980 until January 1999. Articles reporting survival data in older persons (mean or median age >65 years) after PEG tube placement were identified. The number and age of subjects, length of follow-up, setting, and survival data were extracted from all eligible studies. Mortality data at 1, 2, 6, and 12 months after PEG placement were quantitatively synthesized. Clinical characteristics associated with decreased survival among subjects with PEG tubes were identified.
Results.
Five cohort studies compared survival in patients with and without feeding tubes in nursing homes, but none demonstrated a survival benefit. Another cohort study reported increased survival for tube-fed patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The pooled proportion of all subjects surviving after PEG placement was as follows: 1 month = 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74–0.88), 2 months = 0.70 (95% CI, 0.65–0.74), 6 months = 0.56 (95% CI, 0.20–0.92), and 12 months = 0.38 (95% CI, 0.26–0.49). Advanced age and malignancy were the factors most often reported to be associated with poorer survival among subjects with PEG tubes.
Conclusions.
The impact of PEG placement on survival is not known because the level of evidence is limited. PEG tubes may prolong life in selected populations. However, the majority of older patients selected for PEG placement will not survive 1 year after the procedure. Certain factors may identify those patients more likely to derive a survival benefit from long-term tube feeding. This information may offer some guidance to decision makers for whom prolongation of life is an important factor in the tube-feeding decision.
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