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Adverse Effects From Inappropriate Medication Administration via a Jejunostomy Feeding Tube
Author(s) -
Dickerson Roland N.,
Tidwell Angelina C.,
Brown Rex O.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
nutrition in clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1941-2452
pISSN - 0884-5336
DOI - 10.1177/0115426503018005402
Subject(s) - medicine , jejunostomy , nausea , adverse effect , feeding tube , vomiting , parenteral nutrition , enteral administration , anesthesia , surgery
Numerous complications can arise when administering medications to patients receiving continuous enteral feeding. We report a case of a patient who could not be fed by mouth and was receiving continuous jejunal enteral feeding who had an adverse event associated with inappropriate administration of a medication via his jejunostomy tube. He had taken an extended‐release niacin product before hospitalization for type IIb hyperlipidemia. The patient was inappropriately given a single dose of 750 mg of niacin as the short‐acting tablets that were crushed and administered via the jejunostomy tube. He experienced severe cutaneous flushing, a feeling of warmth, itching, nausea, and emesis. He was noted to have “prickly heat” to the forehead, according to the nursing notes. A discussion of problems and guidelines for medication administration in adult patients receiving continuous tube feeding is provided.