Outside Food in the Hospital

[BonnieSc]

Just a quick question--I have a friend who is at Bellevue in New York recovering from hip fracture and she says no one is allowed to bring in "outside food". She isn't neutropenic, she doesn't have liver or kidney disease, she isn't morbidly obese, no reason I can think of that she would be on a strict calorie count. I've never heard of a hospital not allowing people to bring in food as a general policy! Can this be true?

[Aurora77]

Definitely just ask the staff. We have lots of hip fracture patients on my floor and we let family bring in food. Unless there is some kind of safety issue, I don't see why patients have outside food. I can't imagine only eating our cafeteria's food multiple meals a day for days.

[SwansonRN]

Our guests bring in food for our patients frequently (on good days they bring in food for us, too!) I do see how it can be problematic. I once caught my dialysis patient drinking a milkshake after his treatment. I would run it by the nurse first just so everyone's on the same page.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

We discourage outside food because of our glucose control protocol. It's easier to manage glucoses on an insulin drip if the diet is carb controlled. Every patient is on an insulin drip for at least 24-48 hours post op, so everyone is on a carb controlled diet.

[olemissreb65]

Generally, food brought in from the outside must be approved by the nursing staff and/or dietician.  Food must be in small amounts and must be not be stored in the patient nourishment refrigerator.  E. Coli outbreaks or other diseases I.e., hepatitis in area restaraunts may be delivered to the hospital and contaminate the patient nourisment refrigerator and infect patients.  Left over food from patient rooms must not be stored in the patient nourishment refrigerator so therefore portions should be small enough to be consumed or discarded.  It is not uncommon for urinals and bedpans to be placed overbed tables and then food trays are sat down.  You cannot then take food from the bedside and place in the patient nourishment refrigerator.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

We have a similar policy at my Facility which is sad because our food is truly awful. many stupid things not allowed Like Tampons because they have a string! REALLY like someone is going to make a noose out of it!!

[olemissreb65]

But you can't carry germs from the patient room to the nourishment refrigerator to be distributed to the patient's on your unit.  Or bring a restaurant outbreak to your facility.  Makes sense.  Our food isn't very good but who can cook well for many different dietary needs.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

hppygr8ful said:

We have a similar policy at my Facility which is sad because our food is truely awfuls. many stupid things not allowed Like Tampons because they have a string! REALLY like someone is going to make a noose out of it!!

I, for one, would be interested in seeing that attempt.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Tampons swallowed can lead to airway or bowel obstruction ... specially in dogs.

An Overview of Swallowed Foreign Object
 

Quote

 

Signs include:

• Coughing or gagging
• Trouble speaking
• Wheezing or trouble breathing
• Difficulty swallowing
• Vomiting or drooling
• Stomach pain

The esophagus and airway (trachea) are located side by side in the neck. Foreign objects that get stuck at the top of the esophagus can also enter the trachea. If the object is large enough, it can actually push on the trachea from inside the esophagus and interrupt air flow to the lungs.

In some cases, foreign objects can cause serious obstruction of the GI tract or even cut off airflow.

Any time you suspect that something was swallowed and it can be felt (by the person who swallowed it) in the throat or deep in the chest, it's important to seek medical care immediately.

 

In adults, the most commonly swallowed foreign objects are bones from food (like fish or chicken) and dentures.  Have seen an ENT remove some interesting objects over the years, especially in Psych patient with psychosis or dementia.