Enteral nutrition is a type of food that allows all or part of the nutrients to be delivered through the gastrointestinal system when the person cannot eat a normal diet, either because it’s necessary to eat more calories, either because there is a loss of nutrients, or because the digestive system must be left to rest.
This type of nutrition is given through a tube, called a feeding tube, which can be placed from the nose, mouth, stomach, or intestine, and its length and location vary depending on the underlying disease, overall health, estimated duration, and target.
- Another less common way to administer enteral feeding is the stoma.
- In which a tube is placed directly from the skin to the stomach or intestine.
- Being indicated when this type of feeding should be done for more than 4 weeks.
- As is the case in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Enteral nutrition is used when more calories are needed and cannot be provided by the usual diet, or when certain diseases do not allow you to consume calories orally; However, the intestine should function properly.
Thus, some situations in which enteral nutrition can be administered are:
In addition, this type of nutrition can also be used as a form of transition between parenteral nutrition, placed directly in the vein, and oral feeding.
There are several ways to administer enteral nutrition through the tube, including:
This type of feeding can be administered with a syringe, known as bolus, or by force of gravity or an infusion pump, ideally administered at least every 3 to 4 hours, but there are cases in which feeding can be made.continuously, using an infusion pump. This type of pump mimics bowel movements, making feeding better tolerated, especially when the tube is inserted into the intestine.
The food and amount to be administered will depend on certain factors, such as age, nutritional status, needs, disease and the functional capacity of the digestive system, however, it is normal to start feeding at a low volume of 20 mL per hour, which gradually increases.
Nutrients can be administered using a crushed diet or enteral formula:
It consists of administering crushed and filtered food through the tube.In this case, the nutritionist should calculate in detail the diet, as well as the volume of food and when it should be administered.In this diet, it is common to include vegetables, tubers, lean meats and fruits.
The nutritionist may also consider supplementing the diet with a enteral formula, to ensure an adequate intake of all nutrients, thus avoiding possible malnutrition.
While closer to conventional foods, this type of nutrition has an increased risk of bacterial contamination, which may end up limiting the absorption of certain nutrients, in addition, being composed of crushed foods, this diet also presents an increased risk.obstruction of the tube.
There are several out-of-the-box formulas that can be used to eliminate people’s enteral nutrition needs, including:
In addition to these, there are also other special formulas whose composition is adapted to certain chronic diseases such as diabetes, liver problems or kidney disorders.
Certain complications can occur during enteral nutrition, from mechanical problems, such as catheter obstruction, to infections, such as aspiration pneumonia or gastric rupture, for example.
Metabolic complications or dehydration, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, increased blood sugar or electrolyte imbalance, as well as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, reflux, nausea or vomiting may also occur.
However, all these complications can be avoided with the supervision and advice of a doctor, as well as with proper management of the tube and food preparations.
Enteral nutrition is contracted in patients at high risk of bronchoapiration, i.e. fluid from the tube can enter the lungs, which is more common in people who have difficulty swallowing or who suffer from severe reflux.
In addition, the use of enteral nutrition in decompensated or unstable people with chronic diarrhea, intestinal obstruction, frequent vomiting, gastric hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocoil, acute pancreatitis or intestinal atresia should also be avoided, in all these cases the best option is usually to use parenteral nutrition.See what this type of nutrition is all about.