Enteral feeding

Question

This piglix contains articles or sub-piglix about Enteral feeding

Answer 1

Saline flush

A saline flush is the method of clearing out intravenous lines (IVs), Central Lines or Arterial Lines of any medicine or other perishable liquids so that they can keep the area of entering clean and sterile. Typically in flushing an intravenous cannula, a 5ml syringe of saline is emptied into the medication port of the cannula's connecting hub after insertion. Blood left in the cannula or hub can lead to clots forming and blocking the cannula. Flushing is required before drip is connected to ensure that the IV is still patent.

Flushing is also used after medications are delivered by the medication port to ensure all the drug is delivered fully. If multiple medications are given through the same line flushing can be used in between drugs to ensure that the medicines won't react. This is especially important if complex regimes of intravenous medication is used such as in chemotherapy.

Flushing with saline should be painless if the cannula is in its proper place, although if the saline is not warmed there may be a cold sensation running up the vein. A painful flush may indicate tissuing or phlebitis and is an indication that the cannula should be relocated.

Solutions other than plain saline may be used. Heparinised saline may be used in flushing arterial lines, to prevent clotting and blockage of the line.

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Wikipedia

Answer 2

Tube dependency

Tube dependency refers to the process in which an individual becomes dependent on a feeding tube for nutrition. While the term technically refers to any individual who requires enteral feeding for nutrition, some practitioners specifically use this term for patients, primarily children, who are medically capable of eating by mouth but have been unable to wean from a feeding tube due to non-medical causes, which may be behavioral, sensory, or motoric in nature.

Tube dependency is a condition when patients treated with enteral nutrition via a feeding tube are unable to begin or resume oral feeding after the period of intended use is completed. This can lead to a physical and emotional dependency on tube feeding in absence of any medical indication. Tube dependency can begin after a few days of ENS (enteral nutrition support) or take weeks to develop. It is considered as an unintended complication of ENS.

Although tube dependency can be seen as an iatrogenic factor most practitioners do not consider it to be a medical diagnosis or condition. It merely refers to a patient's need for enteral feeding to sustain health. In fact, the term has been widely rejected by the disability and feeding tube communities because it fails to follow People-first language.

Affected Persons are infants and toddlers, who had been in need of a temporary feeding tube because of their acute medical condition. This can include extreme prematurity, chromosomal anomalies, cardiac conditions, gut anomalies demanding immediate surgery like esophageal atresia or any medical complication leaving the infant in a fragile medical condition with insufficient nutritional intake. After treatment, children often unnecessarily remain tube fed avoiding any contact with food, resist the offering, touching and tasting of food and finally become tube dependent. The affected children are unable start/resume self-directed eating behaviour of tube feeding to make the transition to oral nutrition, as they develop an active aversion to or a disinterest in food. [3]

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Wikipedia