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Enteral Tube Feeding: Indications, Practices and Outcomes
Author(s) -
Flynn Kathleen T.,
Norton Linda Celentano,
Fisher Rosemarie L.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
image: the journal of nursing scholarship
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.009
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1547-5069
pISSN - 0743-5150
DOI - 10.1111/j.1547-5069.1987.tb00580.x
Subject(s) - calorie , medicine , enteral administration , feeding tube , parenteral nutrition , diarrhea , pediatrics , malnutrition , hay , intensive care unit , intensive care medicine , surgery , zoology , biology
A descriptive study was conducted at a large medical center to explore the state of the art in enteral nutrition. Demographic data as well as data on reason for feeding, evidence of a nutritional assessment, daily practices and problems related to feeding were collected on 53 acutely ill adults. The subjects ranged in age from 17 to 90 years (x = 67.8) and were on medical (47.2%) or surgical (52.8%) services, the majority (62.3%) having been in an intensive care unit when feeding was initiated. More than hay the sample (56.6%) were malnourished at the outset of feeding; yet the mean daily calories fed were only 1,035.55 K cal/day. Common problems among the subjects were diarrhea (60.3%) and aspiration (26.4%). Outcome albumin tests in 24 subjects averaged only 2.29 gms. A new look at an old practice indicates that there are gaps between what is known and what is practiced.