Enteral Feeding Flashcards
name the 6 steps of nutrition and dietetic care
- assessment
- nutrition and dietetic diagnosis
- strategy
- implementation
- monitor and review
- evaluation
What questions do you need to think about to justify EN?
- why are they on EN in the first place?
- what is their nutritional status like
Key considerations for EN (4)
- clinical condition, indications for EN, nutritional status and treatment plan
- route of EN
- Feeding regimen (including timing and type of feed)
- specific monitoring plan
What specifically needs to be considered in EN monitoring plan? (5)
- safeguarding
- complications
- how to determine effectiveness of intervention
- safety
- early detection of complications
What classifies someone needing EN for malnourishment
- BMI <18.5 kg/m2
- unintentional weight loss >10% in 3-6 months
- BMI <20 kg/m2 AND unintentional weight loss >5% in 3 - 6 months
What classifies someone needing EN - at risk of malnourishment?
Even with a high BMI unintentional weight loss >10% = malnourished
- Little to no intake for the last 5+ days
- Little/no intake likely in the next 5+ days
- Poor absorptive capacity
- high nutrient losses (i.e. high output fistula)
- increased nutritional needs i.e. catabolic, cancer cachexia
Name some situations where EN may be indicated: (10)
- oral intake insufficient (food fortification and oral nutrition support)
- unconscious patients
- neuromuscular swallowing disorders (stroke)
- physiological anorexia
- upper GI obstruction (head and neck cancer)
- GI dysfunction or malabsorption (pancreatitis, GI dysmotility)
- increased nutritional requirements (cancer cachexia)
- psychological problems (anorexia nervosa/ eating disorder/ ARFID)
- specific treatment (Crohn’s and Ulcerative colitis)
- unsafe (dysphagia)
Assessment considerations: Anthro
- BMI
- % weight loss in what period of time
- hopefully referred using a MUST tool - a screening tool NOT assessment tool
Assessment considerations: biochem
- Refeeding syndrome
- dehydration
- disease specific/condition
Assessment considerations: clinical
- underlying condition
- medications
- medication side effects/impact on nutritional status
- some medications will affect timings of feed and water flushes
- potential drug / nutrient interactions
Assessment considerations: dietary
- recent oral intake
- recent nutritional intake and prospective intake
Assessment considerations: environmental and functional
- living situation
- social support
- impact of condition
- mobility
Assessment considerations: environmental and functional
- living situation
- social support
- impact of condition
- mobility
NICE CG32 definition of malnutrition:
Malnutrition is a state in which a deficiency of nutrients such as energy, protein, vitamins and minerals causes measurable adverse effects on body composition, function or clinical outcome. In this guideline, we do not use the term to cover excess nutrient provision.
Are patients on EN always exclusive EN?
no. When long term, sometimes need to be weaned off the tube.
If the gut is working - USE IT
Nutrition and dietetic diagnosis - what goes in it?
Problem:
- the nutritional problem identified through the assessment
- what the dietitian aims to change
e.g. insufficient/inadequate oral nutrition intake OR unsafe swallow
Aetiology:
- The underlying reason for the problem identified
e.e. stroke/ neuromuscular swallowing condition/ increased nutritional requirements
Signs: CAN BE MEASURED
- objective evidence of disease; manifestations of disease perceivable by health worker
e.e. recent weight loss >10% in past 3/12; BMI <18.5 kg/m2
Symptoms: SUBJECTIVE/ REPORTED PT EXPERIENCE
- manifestation of disease perceivable to the patient themselves
e.e nausea, pain, discomfort, feeling weak
Who makes the decision to EN feed?
Doctor or consultant in charge of patient’s care.
What source of extra info about patient history is useful?
MDT notes and information from the referrer
what does the strategy need to address?
the problem
Strategy; what considerations in EN? (3)
CRUCIAL QUESTIONS IN CLINICAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS
- how long (weeks) wukk th patient be EN fed?
- Which feeding route being used (NG, NJ, PEG, PEJ)
- Where is the tube going to? (stomach or jejunum)
What are the aims to meet nutritional requirements with EN?
- partial or full needs met?
- type of feed
- duration and timing of feeds
- Nutritional adequacy of feeds
Strategy - how could you measure outcomes?
- weight maintenance
- weight gain
- prevent further weight loss
What method would you use short term (and duration)
Long term (and duration)
how are they placed?
short term = NG <4-6 weeks
Long term = PEG, PEJ or NJ (through abdomen all) - placed by gastronomy
Feed differently if going through stomach or straight to intestine
When feeding into stomach why can you feed at a higher rate? what rate?
because of pyloric sphincter acting as a gateway to intestine therefore increased rate and be better tolerated
up to 150 ml/hour
when feeding into jejunum what rate do you feed? and why?
Less than into stomach because bypassing pyloric sphincter.
top rate of feed = 75 ml/hour
What are risks associated with NG feed? why? safety measures to take and how?
- high risk of moving
- high risk of aspiration
- confirm placement by syringe to test what’s in the stomach using litmus paper
pH <4 = stomach acid
pH 6-7 = lungs
CONFIRMING PLACEMENT WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF THE INSTRUCTION TO MEDICAL TEAM BEFORE EVERY FEED
sending home with NG = high risk for these reasons but some people can manage it safely
what is buried bumper syndrome? how do you prevent?
when the stomach wants to heal the wound and grows back over the bumper (PEG tube)
very serious = can cause infection, damage and mortality
prevention = rotate it 360º, insert it further in and out by 1cm as daily part of tube care - called advancing it
NEVER FOR PEJ because of highly specific placement
how long can a PEG tube last?
7 + yrs
how often does a balloon gastronomy tube last? what are benefits?
specific treatment instructions needed?
- needs replacing every ~3 months
- lower risk of buried bumper syndrome
- can be replaced at home by nutrition nurse
- same daily management as PEG
- instruct nurse to fill balloon with water because it deflates by osmosis in the stomach.
describe ENfit and benefits of it?
ENfit= standardised enteral feeding device connecter:
1. designed to ensure feeding connectors cannot be used for other unrelated infusions
WHY? because using the incorrect route for medications is listed as a NEVER EVENT in NHS (2018)
- improves patient safety by preventing misconnections between systems
- ENfit ports = shaped differently to lier-lip or catheter ports according to ISO specifications
benefits:
1. reduces unrelated infusions, i.e. medications = improved patient safety (NEVER EVENT)