Enteral Feeding

Specialties MICU

Published

We are updating our enteral feeding procedures. I can't believe the controversies and variations in practice in this topic! Would appreciate your comments on what your facility does with the following issues

1) How do you assess tolerance?

2) What do you use to flush?

tap water/NS/distilled water? why?

3) Do you aspirate small bore tubes placed in the stomach? One surgeon here wants nurses on the surgical floor to aspirate a J-tube!

Thanks a bunch

I heard Dr. Stephen McClave talk at the clinical nutrition conference last year about using a refractometer to get the residual volume. has anyone heard of this? Because we never know where the tube actually is it might be nice to have some kind of instrument to help tell us what is going on. Anyone heard of this?

Specializes in ICU.

We have enteral feeding as part of our ventilator care bundle. The protocol is for all patients to be fed enterally unless this is contraindicated. We refer to the dieticians as early as possible, but at least with the protocol the patient is fed and doesn't have to wait for dietican input.

I have tried to attach our protocol, hope it works so here goes...

24 hr enteral feed guideline.doc

Specializes in MSICU.
I heard Dr. Stephen McClave talk at the clinical nutrition conference last year about using a refractometer to get the residual volume. has anyone heard of this? Because we never know where the tube actually is it might be nice to have some kind of instrument to help tell us what is going on. Anyone heard of this?

This sounds interesting. What is a refractometer?

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