Enteral feeding is the term for the delivery method of nutrients via a feeding tube in patients who cannot receive food and nutrients through their mouths because of a health condition.
Nasogastric or naso-enteral tubes
are placed in short-term conditions. These tubes are placed manually through the nose.
Gastrostomy and jejunostomy tubes
are placed in individuals who require feeding for more than 30 days.
Infants and children who may require enteral feeding include those who have:
- Gastrointestinal disorders, including those that inhibit nutrient absorption, digestion, secretion, and storage of nutrients
-
Damaged nervous systems or neuromuscular disorders including
muscular dystrophy
, spinal cord defects, or
cerebral palsy
- Cardiopulmonary disorders
-
Conditions of hypermetabolism, including
burns
or
cancer
Children with
gastroesophageal reflux
may be at increased risk for vomiting or aspirating (swallowing food into the lungs) with enteral feeding.
Patients should not take blood-thinning medications, including over-the-counter pain killers, for about a week before the enteral feeding tube is inserted. If you are allowed to leave the hospital the same day as the procedure, you will need someone to drive you home.
Patients should avoid food and water for at least eight hours prior to surgery.
Mild sedation only is used, including an intravenous sedative and a pain reliever. Patients typically remain awake during the procedure.
A hole, called a stoma, is cut in the intestine and the stomach on the left side. A small, flexible tube with a balloon-like tip is inserted into the stoma. The incision in the stomach is stitched up around the tube.
Patients are carefully monitored to check for infection or bleeding following the insertion of the enteral feeding tube. Drainage around the tube is expected, and the dressing should be changed for several days following the procedure.
The incision site should be carefully washed each day with soap and water to prevent infection. Some soreness is normal.
Typically between 30-45 minutes
Because of sedation and pain medication, the procedure typically causes little discomfort and only mild soreness.
Possible complications of enteral feeding include:
- Diarrhea
- Breakdown of the skin surrounding the feeding tube
- Anatomic disruption
- Hyperglycemia
- Hyperphosphatemia (higher than normal phosphate levels in the blood)
- Vomiting
- Aspiration (inhaling foreign material into the lungs)—To decrease the risk of aspiration the head of the bed is raised between 30-40 degrees at the time of feeding and for an hour before and after feeding.
- Feeding tubes may also become dislodged or clogged.
The wound should be healed in about 10 days. Until it has healed, patients should not swim or take baths (shower only). Patients should also avoid strenuous activity.
An enteral feeding tube may be either temporary or permanent. Most patients who receive an enteral feeding tube do not have life-threatening complications from the tube.
You should call your doctor if the feeding tube becomes clogged or comes out, or if you experience choking or difficulty breathing.
If you have an infection or become dehydrated, see a doctor immediately. Symptoms include:
- Redness of the skin surrounding the feeding tube
- Fluids around the feeding tube changing in thickness and color
- An odor from the fluid around the feeding tube
- Pain, swelling, or warmth of the skin around the feeding tube
- Fever
- Dry skin lining the mouth, nose, or throat
- Infrequent urination
- Weight loss
- Lack of tears
Last reviewed April 2007 by Mujgan Jamil, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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