Compleat® Organic Blends formulas, which contain blenderized whole foods, are associated with improved GI tolerance as compared to Kate Farms®* Standard formulas, which do not contain blenderized whole foods.

Objectives

Describe patient characteristics and clinical outcomes among adult patients in post-acute care who received a commercially blenderized tube feeding (CBTF) formula made with a variety of whole foods compared to patients who received a plant-based standard tube feeding (STD-TF) without blenderized foods.

Methods

A retrospective, observational study was conducted using nationally representative US claims data obtained from the Decision Resources Group Real World Evidence Data Repository, covering 98% of US health plans, including medical and pharmacy claims. Patient characteristics, medications, GI intolerance symptoms, health care resource utilization, and costs were assessed retrospectively in adults receiving a CBTF formula (Compleat® Organic Blends, Nestlé HealthCare Nutrition, US) or planted-based STD-TF formula (Kate Farms® Standard 1.0 and 1.4, Kate Farms, Inc., US) as sole-source nutrition for ≥7 days in post-acute care between Jan 2018 and Dec 2020. The index date was defined as date of hospital discharge. Outcomes were measured in the post-index period based on the last record in the study period at 84 days post-discharge. GI intolerance symptoms were compared between CBTF and plant-based STD-TF group at 84-days post-index using chi-square test.

Results

The study included 448 adults (46% female; mean age 41.5 [23.3] years) from all US regions. The most common diagnoses pre-index were diseases of the digestive system (90%), musculoskeletal and connective tissue (81%), and nervous system (78%). Overall mean (SD) Charlson Comorbidity Index score was 3.8 (3.4). The most frequent comorbidities were chronic pulmonary disease (38%), paraplegia and hemiplegia (32%) and cancer (27%). No significant difference in concomitant medications use was observed for central nervous system agents, GI drugs (anti-diarrheals, anti-emetics, laxatives, and others) and anti-infective agents between groups.

Significantly fewer patients experienced GI intolerance symptoms at 84-days post-discharge while receiving the CBTF formula (29%) compared to the plant-based STD-TF (49%) (p< 0.001). This difference in GI intolerance for CBTF was maintained for intolerance symptoms including nausea and vomiting (p< 0.001), diarrhea (p=0.002), abdominal pain (p< 0.001), and flatulence (p=0.037) at 84-days post-discharge. Significantly more patients experienced three or more GI intolerance symptoms among the plantbased STD-TF group (25%) compared to CBTF group (8%) (p=0.002).