Enteral Nutrition Safety - Maintaining Feeding Tubes, Medication Administration and Managing Feeding Tube Complications

Moderator: Todd Canada, PharmD, BCNSP

Enteral nutrition has become a common route of nutrition support in acutely and chronically ill hospitalized patients, as well as in alternate site settings, such as the home. Proper feeding tube location and site care, enteral product selection, and flushing are key to maintenance of these devices in short and long-term situations. Drug administration through a feeding tube is commonly performed and understanding the common problems seen with medication formulations can prevent complications in these enterally-fed patients. Feeding tube complications generally are related to occlusion of the device and methods to salvage these will be discussed in this webinar focusing on the safety surrounding enteral nutrition administration and feeding tube maintenance.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define the standards for feeding tube utilization and maintenance including both continuous and cyclic enteral nutrition regimens to improve patient tolerance.
2. Describe medication administration standards for patients receiving enteral nutrition including common drug-nutrient interactions, drug formulation considerations and when to hold enteral nutrition or not.
3. Identify frequent feeding tube issues leading to occlusion, strategies for unclogging and replacement of these devices.