What are nursing considerations when administering an enteral feeding?

What are nursing considerations when administering an enteral feeding?

When beginning enteral feedings, monitor the patient for feeding tolerance. Assess the abdomen by auscultating for bowel sounds and palpating for rigidity, distention, and tenderness. Know that patients who complain of fullness or nausea after a feeding starts may have higher a GRV.

What are the common feeding administration methods for tube feeding?

Enteral feeding may be administered by various methods, including continuous, cyclic, bolus, and intermittent. The delivery method is determined by the tip location of the feeding tube (e.g., gastric, jejunal), the patient’s clinical condition and tolerance to EN, and the overall convenience.

How should the patient be positioned when receiving enteral feedings?

Patient positioning can help facilitate gastric emptying and prevent aspiration of feed due to gastric reflux. Keeping the head of bed (HOB) elevated at least to 30 degrees (45 degree is ideal) helps prevent gastric reflux that increases the risk for aspiration (Stewart, 2014).

What are indications for enteral feeding?

Indications for Enteral Feeding Enteral tube feeding is indicated in patients who cannot main adequate oral intake of food or nutrition to meet their metabolic demands. Healthcare professionals commonly use enteral feeding in patients with dysphagia.

What is the difference between Parenteral and Enteral?

Enteral nutrition is administered through a feeding tube placed into the stomach or intestines. Parenteral nutrition is administered through a traditional intravenous (IV) line or via a central IV surgically placed during an outpatient procedure.

What steps should you take to administer medications through an enteral tube while it is infusing a nutritional formula?

How to Safely Administer Medication Through a Feeding Tube

1. Administer each medication separately.
2. Stop the feeding and flush the tube with water before and after medication administration.
3. Crush only those medications which are immediate-release.
4. Use liquid medications when available.

When do you use enteral feeding?

When do you start enteral feeding?

Summary: Although not strong, the best available data suggest that critically ill patients should be started on enteral tube feeds within 48 h of intubation whenever possible. The use of parenteral nutrition should be limited within the first 6 days, and not used to augment caloric intake.

What are the two methods of feeding the patients?

It may be administered orally or via tube feeding.

What are the 4 enteral routes of administration?

Enteral administration involves the esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestines (i.e., the gastrointestinal tract). Methods of administration include oral, sublingual (dissolving the drug under the tongue), and rectal. Parenteral administration is via a peripheral or central vein.

How to safely administer medication through a feeding tube?

Feeding tubes should be flushed with 15–30 mL of water before and after drug delivery. When several medications are being given at the same time, each one should be administered separately. The feeding tube should be flushed with at least 5-10 mL of water between medications.

How to use your feeding tube at home?

The feeding tube is normally used in a hospital, but it can be used at home to feed infants. The tube can also be used to give medication to an infant. The feeding tube can be inserted and then removed for each feeding. Or it can be an indwelling feeding tube, which means it remains in the infant for multiple feedings.

How do you administer TPN?

Instructions Wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap. Turn the infusion pump off. Close the clamp on the TPN tubing and disconnect the TPN tubing from the CVC. To release the air bubbles in the syringe, gently tap the side of the syringe. Pick up 1 lumen and unclamp it. If you have a disinfection cap, remove it.

What is enternal feeding?

Enteral feeding refers to the delivery of a nutritionally complete feed, containing protein, carbohydrate, fat, water, minerals and vitamins, directly into the stomach, duodenum or jejunum.