Enteral Nutrition Flashcards
Background
´ Malnutrition can affect up to 45% of acutely ill
patients
´ 1 in 5 malnourished patients will return to hospital
´ Malnutrition at admission is independently associated with increased length of stay
´ Malnutrition increases infections, morbidity,
complications and health care costs while
decreasing quality of life and wound healing
*Canadian Malnutrition Task Force look at effects of malnutrition in patients
poor appetite, loss of taste or smell, depression
caused by
medication use
´ Subjective Global
Assessment
Nutrition assessment
tool
´ Predictive of nutrition associated complications
´ Assists in identifying those who would benefit from nutrition support
dietary intake over last 2 wks
weight changes, intentional or not
difficult eating. nausea, vomiting
functional capacity: can they do activities of daily living
metabolic requirement: what is current disease state
SGA A
SGA B
SGA C
´ SGA A - Well nourished
´ SGA B - Mildly/moderately malnourished, muscle wasting
´ SGA C - Severely Malnourished, no muscle or fat mass, catabolic illness, affects ability to take med
´ Malnutrition in hospital is exacerbated by several
factors including:
can get worse in hospital
´Prolonged use of “NPO” or “Nothing by Mouth”
for medical procedures & tests (no nutrition)
´Late identification of those at risk on admission
´Conditions such as sepsis & multisystem organ failure
´Medical therapies/medications which increase
catabolism and/or affect tolerance to
gastrointestinal feeds
´ Ideal process:
´ Multidisciplinary team consult
´ Dietitian, Pharmacist, OT/PT, Nursing
´ If required: Speech Pathologist, Respiratory Therapist
´ Dietitian’s Role:
´ Nutritional Assessment
´ Consider:
´ Medical history, Biochemical data, Medications,
Anthropometrics, Allergies
´ Functionality of GI tract
´ Oral nutrition - can pt eat, can they meet nutrition needs orally
´ Enteral nutrition (? Access) - if GI is working, but can’t take orally
´ Parenteral nutrition (?Access)
´ Formulation of nutritional care plan
What is Nutrition Support?
´Nutrition Support
´Provision of nutrition via non-volitional
means
´Required when patients are unable to meet
their needs in the presence of an increased
metabolic demand
´2 routes:
´ Enteral (oral/tube feeding) or Parenteral route
Enteral being the preferred route when possible
Goals of Nutrition Support
– Assist with maintaining or restoring nutritional status
– Minimize effects of hypermetabolism
– Promote wound healing
– Assist with the body’s defense against infection
– Reduce complications/mortality
– Reduce hospital stay
Enteral Nutrition basics
´The system of providing nutrition directly into the GI tract bypassing the oral cavity
´Delivery is through an Enteral Access
Device (EAD)
´The Enteral Nutrition Process requires a multidisciplinary approach
Enteral Nutrition Process….
see slide 11
- assess pt
Indications for EN
´ Existing malnutrition & poor intake
´ Catabolic patients (trauma/burn)
´ Inability to eat (e.g.: stroke/brain injury)
´ Impaired digestion/absorption (e.g.: Cystic
Fibrosis
Contraindications for EN
´ Nonoperative GI obstruction
´ Intractable nausea/vomiting refractory to medical
management
´ Severe short bowel syndrome or malabsorption
´ Distal high output fistulas
´ Severe GI bleed
´ Inability to gain enteral access
´ Need for EN is <7-9 days (dependent on baseline
nutrition status)
´ Aggressive nutrition not warranted or desired
EN Access and Medications
Prescribing medications to enterally fed patients, must consider:
´ Anatomic site of delivery
´ Size of feeding tube
Anatomic site of tube:
´ Tolerance to medication
´ Stomach is able to tolerate more concentrated or hypertonic
medications than the small bowel
´ Optimal site of absorption of the medication (e.g.: some
medications are targeted for gastric delivery such as antacids)
EN Access
Short Term:
A. NG (Nasogastric)
´ Larger in diameter
´ Less likely to become occluded by meds
´ Need to clarify if the tube is for feeding or suction
´ Med administration contraindicated if NG being used for suctioning gastric contents Corpak®/Kaofeed®
´ Small in diameter
´ Gastric or jejunal
Higher risk of tube becoming occluded with
medications due to smaller diameter
EN Access
Short Term:
B. NJ/ND
´ Nasojejunal/duodenal (or post pyloric)
´ Indications:
´ High risk of aspiration
´ Gastric motility difficulties
´ Typically smaller diameter tube (increased chance of occlusion)
´ If access is quite distal may affect absorption of medications even targeted to the small bowel