This animated video provides an overview of enteral feeding topics for patients. The ‘New to Enteral Feeding’ video series was created to help patients, families and caregivers better understand important enteral feeding topics and to support them on their journey.
The new to enteral feeding video series is presented by Cardinal Health to help patients families and caregivers better understand enteral feeding. This is the fourth video in the series and we'll provide an overview of how enteral fluids are delivered. Enteral fluids consist of liquids such as formula, water and human breast milk that help provide proper nutrition to a patient based on conditions and dietary needs. Nutritional needs vary based on a variety of factors like age, weight, height, activity level, medical conditions and a health care provider will advise and prescribe the most appropriate enteral fluids. One of the most common types of enteral fluids is standard formula, which is a commercially prepared liquid or powdered formula packed pitched in a can carton or bottle. Standard formula contains all the nutrients designed to meet the nutritional needs of patients who have normal digestion formulas called specialized formulas or disease specific formulas are designed for those with certain medical conditions like diabetes, kidney failure, respiratory disease or patients with compromised immune systems. Another category of ventral fluids is called thick formula. Thick formula can be made by mixing thickeners or fortifiers directly into a standard formula or it may also come in the form of what is called a blenderized formula. Thickeners are commercially available, thickening agents added to standard formulas. Fortifiers are an option typically used with human breast milk for preterm infants that need additional nutrition, commercially or home prepared formula made from solid foods, sometimes called table foods or real foods such as meat, vegetables or fruits that are blended together to be administered through a feeding tube are often referred to as blenderized tube feeds or BT F. Other common descriptions include blenderized diet, blended diet, pureed diet and organic diet. Enter fluids are either delivered through what's called bolus or intermittent feeding, which means formula is delivered at a predetermined rate or volume at specified times or they are delivered through continuous feeding, which is any feeding that is infused at a specified and controlled rate over a 24 hour period or less. A health care provider will typically advise on which method is right for the patient. The three ways to deliver formula to patients include use of an enteral feeding pump, a syringe or via a gravity set. A feeding pump is a mechanical device that delivers enteral fluids through continuous feeding feeding pumps are usually recommended for administering nutrition. When enteral fluids need to be delivered at a controlled rate over a predetermined period of time or when a patient requires feeding into the small intestine. When a feeding pump is used, it's necessary to program the pump with a prescribed rate or volume of enteral fluid to be delivered. A feeding set will be attached to the feeding pump with the other end of the tube connecting directly into the patient's feeding tube. Once the enteral pump is in use, enteral formula will be infused through the tubing and into the patient. When using the gravity method, enteral fluid is delivered without a pump or syringe. This method relies on gravity to pull the enteral fluid from the feeding bag or container and deliver it into the patient. When using the syringe method, a specially designed syringe made only for enteral feeding is attached to the feeding tube and formula is manually pushed through the syringe to deliver bolus feeding. When a patient has completed their prescribed feeding regimen, it's recommended to do a flush. This means that a prescribed amount of water is infused and pushed through the tubing flushing water is a recommended practice to help minimize tube clogging and deliver additional hydration. Used feeding sets are normally changed and disposed every 24 hours unless clinically prescribed to do so sooner or based on their usage label. Thanks for watching the New to Enteral Feeding series presented by Cardinal Health. We hope you learned a few things about enteral feeding and that you feel confident about starting on this new journey.