Aceitação de um sorvete adaptado como sobremesa por pacientes onco-hematológicos

Introduction: Oncological patients present several symptoms and manifestations that influence the food acceptance, due to both the disease and the treatment they undergo. Objectives: To evaluate food acceptance with emphasis on desserts offered to adult and elderly patients of both sexes with hematologic cancer hospitalized in a university hospital in southern Brazil. Methods: cross-sectional, descriptive, quantitative study. Participants were classified into two groups according to the dessert offered at lunch and dinner: Group adapted ice cream (GSA) (n = 22) and Group dessert standard (GSP) (n = 19). Food consumption was assessed through a self-administered survey. Nutritional Risk Screening 2002, Body Mass Index and Global Subjective Assessment were performed. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups for all clinical and nutritional characteristics evaluated. Most of the participants were adults (21 to 59 years old), diagnosed with leukemia and without associated comorbidities, but were at nutritional risk (GSA: 82%, GSP: 68%). The GSA showed significantly greater acceptance of the dessert at lunch compared to GSP (93.8 ± 19.5% versus 65.8 ± 31.4%, p = 0.006). At dinner there was no significant difference between the two groups in relation to dessert acceptance (p = 0.077). The adapted ice cream has greater energetic value, content of protein and fibers. Conclusions: The adapted ice cream obtained superior acceptance to the other desserts, being able to represent a therapeutic strategy to increase the energetic-protein intake of the patients. The humanization of care should seek in hospital food dietary resources that meet the nutritional demands and the dietary desires of patients.