To explore the effect of home enteral nutrition support in the elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in stable stage with malnutrition.

From April 2016 to April 2018, 155 patients with COPD in stable stage with malnutrition who were treated and discharged from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University were selected. After discharge, 79 patients (group A) were given conventional diet, and 76 patients (group B) were given conventional diet plus enteral nutrition suspension to support the treatment. One month later, they were observed the body mass index (BMI), serum albumin (ALB), total protein (TP), hemoglobin (HB), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, FEV1% of the predicted value (FEV1%), exercise tolerance and quality of life.

Compared with the group A, the BMI and ALB levels of group B were significantly higher (t=10.465, 6.189, P<0.05), the TP and Hb levels were not significantly changed (t=1.310, 1.302, P > 0.05), the FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FEV1% were significantly increased (t=11.999, 19.654, 13.418, 16.924, P<0.05), the quality of life symptom score, activity score, impact score and total score were significantly decreased (t=15.303, 6.773, 23.600, 14.766, P<0.05), 6MWT increased significantly (t=111.962, P<0.05).

Family enteral nutrition can improve the nutritional status, lung function, activity tolerance and quality of life of elderly patients with COPD in stable stage with malnutrition.