Enteral nutrition refers to the direct delivery of nutrients into the stomach and small intestines through a feeding tube. Over the past 30 years, specialty enteral formulas have been developed for specific diseases, including kidney disease. In...
The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, or ASPEN, describes tube feeding as liquid food given through a tube into the stomach or small bowel. Following proper technique when administering formula through your feeding tube will...
Diarrhea is the most commonly reported gastrointestinal complication of tube feeding, reports the American Dietetic Association. There are many possible causes of diarrhea when you are on tube feeding, and a slew of potential solutions. Choosing...
If you're getting nutrition through a tube that goes into your stomach, you are bypassing the route that orally ingested food takes. Tube feeding, also referred to as enteral nutrition, is a method of obtaining nutrients that does not require the...
Disease, trauma, or premature birth may inhibit an individual's ability to ingest food by mouth. Enteral nutrition or tube-feeding is an effective method of delivering sufficient calories and nutrients to individuals such as cancer patients or...
Enteral nutrition, tube feeding, must be carefully formulated to meet the specific nutritional needs of each individual patient. The feeding rate is based on the total number of calories a patient needs daily. Once you have established a patient's...
Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas, an organ that makes the hormones insulin and glucagon. The pancreas also secretes enzymes that help to digest foods. Inflammation occurs when the digestive enzymes leak into the pancreas and...
You may not give it much thought because swallowing is fast, efficient and almost automatic. But if you have an esophageal stricture, you may realize just how important the simple act of swallowing is. An esophageal stricture is a narrowing of the...
A feeding tube, or medically referred to as an enteral feeding, is used when a person is unable to consume adequate nutrition by mouth. A feeding tube may be needed when a person has difficulty swallowing due to a stroke or weakened esophageal...
When a person is unable to consume nutrients by mouth, a feeding tube, also known as enteral feeding, may be used to administer nutrition by placing a tube in the nose, stomach or intestines. Enteral feeding may be necessary for individuals who...
Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a medical condition of the gastrointestinal tract whereby nutrients are not properly absorbed. Malabsorption is due to disease of the bowel, or surgical removal of large portions of the bowel. The most common causes...
How to take your medications was probably not your first concern when you talked to your doctor about a feeding tube. But improper medication administration is the No. 1 cause of a clogged tube, according to the Oley Foundation, a national...
A liquid diet can be ordered for a variety of reasons. However, liquid diets are nutritionally incomplete and only serve a purpose for a limited time. Liquid diets are prescribed in advance of having tests done, before and after surgery, for rapid...
ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome, is characterized by excess fluid in the lungs, which interferes with breathing. It is typically a secondary condition that occurs with another illness or trauma and may cause death. For people who...
Your mood can be affected by a number of factors. What you eat, how much sleep you get each night, stress and other lifestyle factors can influence your overall mood and affect your feelings of well-being. Certain nutritional supplements, like...
Glutamine is a conditionally indispensable amino acid. When your body is under severe stress, such as surgery, it becomes unable to produce enough to meet its increased demands. Post-surgical supplementation of glutamine may reduce the amount of...
Critically ill patients require constant attention and care. Maintaining an appropriate nutritional balance is a challenge, because patients often cannot communicate their needs. Determining the appropriate feeding method, time of feeding tube...
Hyperemesis gravidarum is a condition in pregnant women characterized by persistent nausea and vomiting. It can threaten fetal viability and the mother's life. Symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum include severe nausea, persistent excessive...
As of 2009, there were an estimated 33.3 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS and nutrition are deeply connected. The symptoms of HIV infection can lead to malnutrition and malnutrition can speed the progress of the disease. ...
Not every child is able to eat a healthy and usual diet. When children have particular health issues or conditions that keep them from eating normally, they require a different type of nutrition. Some children who can still eat by mouth but need...
Chemotherapy attacks cells that divide rapidly. Although this primarily affects cancer cells, healthy human cells, including those in the digestive tract, are also affected. Probiotics are supplements that boost the levels of beneficial...
Replacement nourishment can be provided by mouth or by a feeding tube. A tube feeding is used in place of solid foods when you have problems with swallowing or digestion or you need extra nutrition. People may use Ensure Plus, which is a liquid...
The pancreas is an organ responsible for producing digestive enzymes and hormones for glucose regulation. Pancreatitis is a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed and is unable to function properly. It causes auto-digestion or actual...
Anxiety disorders can wreak havoc on your life, affecting your well-being and ability to function normally in society. While certain treatments like medication and psychotherapy can improve your symptoms, researchers have found that certain...
If your son or daughter is having difficulty gaining weight and needs extra nutritional support, Pediasure may be your doctor's supplement of choice. Pediasure sells nutritional shakes for children over the age of two and under the age of 13....
Tube feeding, also called enteral nutrition, is the delivery of nutrients in liquid form directly into the gastrointestinal tract. Children requiring tube feedings must have a working gut to receive enteral nutrition. Children born premature or...
An ileostomy is an opening in the abdominal wall where waste products can exit the body. Part of the intestine is attached to the opening. The waste goes into a pouch that in attached to the ileostomy; you change this pouch regularly. You may need...
The pancreas supplies enzymes that aid in the digestive process as well as important hormones like insulin. Pancreatitis -- a painful condition caused by inflammation of the pancreas -- can lead to significant damage and possible life-threatening...
A G-tube, or gastric tube, is a surgically placed tube that goes through the skin of your abdomen directly into your stomach to provide nutrition support. It is meant for people who cannot eat or get enough nutrition by mouth. A tube feeding...
