Retrospective review of 28 patients undergoing PEG within 30 days after
myocardial infarction at four university teaching hospitals for study periods of up to 10 yr. Forty controls undergoing PEG were matched for age and sex and had no
myocardial infarction during the prior 6 months.
RESULTS: Indications for PEG were inability to eat because of
stroke in 13, chronic dependency on mechanically assisted ventilation in seven,
anoxic encephalopathy in five,
dementia in two, and other in one. The mean patient age was 72.5 +/- 9.2 (SD) yr. PEG was performed on average 22.3 +/- 6.2 days after
myocardial infarction. Seventeen patients were intubated and were receiving mechanically assisted ventilation at the time of PEG. PEG was successfully performed in all patients. Study patients suffered two insignificant complications, and one significant complication from PEG of
bleeding at the
gastrostomy site that required transfusion of 4 U of packed erythrocytes. Of note, no study patient suffered a cardiovascular complication due to PEG. The control complication rate was not significantly different (three insignificant and one significant complications, NS, Fisher's exact test). PEG feedings in study patients resulted in stabilization of
body weight and significant improvement of the
serum albumin level (from 2.2 +/- 0.3 gm/dl to 2.5 +/- 0.5 gm/dl, p < 0.03, Student's t test). Also the absolute lymphocyte count, hematocrit, and serum total
protein level tended to improve after PEG. PEG contributed to transfer to a rehabilitation center, skilled nursing facility, or home in 19 study patients (70%; control rate = 78%, NS, chi 2).
CONCLUSION: