Family members feed nutritional supplements to patients, causing diarrhea and kidney disease to worsen

Spy-versus-spy plots in movies often appear in hospital wards! Many family members of hospitalized patients, in order to make the patients recover as quickly as possible, often ignore the doctors' instructions and prepare various nutritional supplements that do not meet the patients' needs on their own. They also secretly feed the patients when the nursing staff are not paying attention. However, this may increase the patient's physical burden and even cause other complications, so be careful!

Many patients' families will buy supplements on their own to help the patients supplement their nutrition, but doctors remind that before purchasing, they should first ask a doctor and/or nutritionist to evaluate whether the ingredients meet the patient's needs to avoid side effects. (Photo provided by Fengyuan Hospital)

The Department of Health's Fengyuan Hospital recently admitted an elderly patient with a history of diabetes and heart disease. He suffered from repeated diarrhea after hospitalization. After examination by a doctor, a nutritionist prepared a milk formula for him and used a feeding pump to prolong the feeding time to aid digestion. However, his family members repeatedly fed him low-sugar milk powder and whole-grain powder purchased privately from a pharmacy, causing the patient to suffer from repeated diarrhea, edema, puffy eyes, and high blood pressure, which worsened his existing nephrotic syndrome.

Dr. Liu Yifang, director of the Nephrology Department of Fengyuan Hospital, said that when using health foods, the patient's indications should be appropriately considered. Patients with poor kidney function will have slower metabolism, excessive phosphorus will cause itchy skin, and too high purine levels will easily lead to high uric acid, gout and gouty arthritis. In addition, live bacteria or enzymes that are generally claimed to promote digestion can easily cause diarrhea if not used in moderation. It is recommended that patients with poor kidney function should consult a specialist or nutritionist before using any nutritional supplements. This is the correct way to maintain health.

Li Fuchun, director of the family medicine department of Fengyuan Hospital, also reminded that patients do not necessarily need the consent of doctors or nurses before consuming any diet or nutritional supplements during hospitalization. However, if family members want to feed their children themselves, it is recommended that they inform medical staff of the nutritional supplements in a timely manner so that doctors can understand and grasp the actual situation. If the nutritional supplement is suitable for the patient, the hospital can refer to the ingredients of the nutritional supplement to adjust the medical policy and medication in a timely manner; but if it is not suitable, we still hope that family members can follow the doctor's advice to avoid excessive consumption and reduce other side effects or physical discomfort of the patient.