Resumo

MARTIN VILLARES, C. et al. Long hospital stay in head and neck cancer: the impact of nutritional status and pharyngeal problems. Nutr. Hosp. [online]. 2004, vol.19, n.3, pp.150-153. ISSN 1699-5198.

Patients who underwent surgery for head and neck malignant neoplasms loose two important human functions: phonation and swallowing. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of nutritional status and pharyngeal problems in hospital stay in theese patientes. Patients and methods: Fiftyfour patients with oral and pharyngolaryngeal carcinomas underwent surgery were prospective studied to determinate predictors of 2 weeks or longer hospital stay. We studied the impact of malnutrition, tumour location, pharyngeal postoperative problems and infections on hospital stay. Results: 53% of the patients unwent surgery had more than two weeks of hospital saty. Postoperative pharyngeal problems was the strongest correlate of prolonged hospital stay (69% of patients) while only 23% of patients had longer stay because of severe infection (sepsis, neunoniae). Malnutrition or tumor location were not risk factors of prolonged hospitalitation stay in our study. Conclusions: These findings suggest that swallowing problems are the strongest predictors of long hospital stay in head and neck cancer patients.

Palavras-chave : Malnutrition; Pharynx; Hospitalitation stay; Head neck neoplasms.

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