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Enteric feeding in severe adolescent anorexia nervosa: A report of four cases
Author(s) -
Neiderman Marc,
Zarody Maria,
Tattersall Mark,
Lask Bryan
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/1098-108x(200012)28:4<470::aid-eat18>3.0.co;2-1
Subject(s) - anorexia nervosa , psychology , anorexia , psychiatry , eating disorders , medicine
Objective Refeeding patients with anorexia nervosa can be one of the more challenging aspects of their treatment, and particularly if all food and fluids are adamantly and persistently refused. Method If the decision is made to augment or replace oral feeds, the most common intervention is nasogastric feeding. Results Although this is often successful, a subset of patients manage to sabotage feeding via this route. Other means of delivering nutrition such as intravenous feeds are often impractical for long‐term use. Another alternative in such life‐threatening situations is the use of enteric feeds via gastrostomy or jejunostomy. This paper presents the successful use of such enteric feeding in four cases of severe adolescent anorexia nervosa. Discussion The psychological, legal, and ethical issues involved are discussed, concluding that gastrostomy and jejunostomy are valid lifesaving methods to feed highly resistant anorectic patients. © 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 28: 470–475, 2000.