Home Enteral Nutrition FAQ

  What issues should be noted in the home care of enteral nutrition?  1, feeding tube care: the main routes of enteral nutrition are percutaneous gastrostomy tube, surgical gastrostomy tube, nasogastric boiling water 30ml to flush the tube once, the number of flushing should be increased appropriately for the viscous nutrient solution containing fiber or input with nutrition pump. Surgical gastrostomy tube should pay attention to keep the area around the fistula clean and dry, and change the medicine regularly; nasogastric tube or nasogastric tube should strengthen the fixation of the catheter to prevent the catheter from shifting or dislodging, and percutaneous gastrostomy tube should fix the catheter on the skin or clothes according to the situation. Prevent infection around the fistula, pay attention to the cleanliness of the orifice, and remove orifice secretions with warm towels or iodine swabs every day.  2.Nutrient infusion process care: according to the patient’s general condition, choose the appropriate infusion method, such as patients with consciousness and swallowing disorders can be divided into tube feeding, while patients with severe intestinal dysfunction must strictly control the speed, patients with conditions can use enteral nutrition pump circulation drip or 24-hour continuous drip, otherwise it is easy to lead to intestinal intolerance caused by abdominal distension, diarrhea or abdominal pain. Prevent the contamination of nutrition solution and nutrition solution from being too cold or too hot, and maintain the solution temperature at about 35℃.  3, the care of drug administration: try to avoid the administration of drugs through the feeding tube. Some drugs must be adjusted in dose or replaced in dosage form due to changes in absorption routes, and some drugs may interact with the nutrient solution, resulting in denaturation of the nutrient solution and precipitation. All drugs that must be administered via the tube must be approved by the physician and completely dissolved before being injected into the tube. The tube must be flushed with 30 ml of warm boiled water before and after administration to avoid blockage. Transdermal or injectable drugs must also be administered strictly according to the time and method, and the effect of the drug must be observed.  What should I observe at home?  Record the patient’s general condition, observe the patient’s daily urine volume, food intake, stool properties, whether the body is swollen, and measure the patient’s body temperature and weight. For patients with drainage tubes, the amount of drainage fluid should be recorded daily. Record the patient’s complaints of thirst, weakness or pain and report them to the doctor, and contact the doctor immediately in case of fever or respiratory distress.