Help! Need info

Nursing Students General Students

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I need some info or web sites that talk about labs that are monitored while a patient is receiving enteral feedings, and why. Any interesting links will be appreciated.

:o

I have googled, but still can't come up with anything

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.

The only one that I can think of off the top of my head would be depending on what type of formula they're using you would have to check BS levels.

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Specializes in NICU.

Not sure there... we actually do *fewer* labs when a pt is on enteral feeds at my hospital than when they're on TPN. Most of the time they don't even want us to bother with blood sugars.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

since it's enteral feeding, not quite as big a bs jump, due to actually "feeding" the gut. I would think WBCs to monitor for infection spread, Creatine/bun for waste, also maybe ca or K+ due to possible imbalances in those levels for breakdown of formula, ummm...i dunno what else...

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

I though I had a link to a website that had all kinds of information about enteral feeding, but I can't find it in my files. However, these patients need to be monitored for:

  • dehydration
  • overhydration
  • hyperglycemia
  • electrolyte imbalances

So, the appropriate labs would need to be ordered to screen for these things.

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