OLNS

It appears that in many cases wastage of OLNS is significant.

No included study found any effect on mortality rates between the control group and the group receiving OLNS or any statistically significant improvement in functional status by any of the outcome measures for participants receiving OLNS.

Four randomised controlled trials and one descriptive study reported on energy intake as a measure of the effectiveness of OLNS. In one study only the most malnourished participants recorded increased energy intake - participants at risk of malnutrition had no increase.

Seven studies reported data on weight gain or loss as an outcome of OLNS administration.

One low-quality RCT reported that the administration of OLNS to their experimental group had significantly slowed the group's decline in Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) compared to the control.

Two RCTs found no evidence that OLNS has any effect on the bowel function.

Replacing water intake with OLNS, for instance through the 'med-pass' concept, is a concern for circumstances where dehydration is a continuing problem in the elderly.

* Families seem to prefer that residential aged care facilities providers use other strategies to address poor intake before having oral liquid nutritional supplements (OLNS) prescribed.