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Nursing Management
INTERMITTENT FEEDINGS
Intermittent feedings, delivered
through a continuous drip for 20 to 30 minutes several times a day, may
necessary for residents who may dislodged tubes during feeding.
Continuous
feedings
Continuous feedings, which are less
likely to cause discomfort and diarrhea, are preferred over intermittent
feedings and are usually delivered through a pump. Residents with severely
impaired digestion due to the following conditions will also benefit from
continuous feedings:
.
Short bowel syndrome
. Radiation enteritis
.
Crohn’s disease
Continuous enteral feedings may be
delivered all day or during a portion of the day, such as 12 to 14 hours at
night. Nocturnal feedings may be preferred over continuous enteral feedings
because they do not interfere with daytime activities and because they do not
depress the appetite.Continuous
feeding should be delivered through a pump that regulates the amount of formula
delivered small light-weight pumps that are inexpensive and easy to use are
available for continuous enteral feedings.
BOLUS
FEEDINGS
Bolus feeding are not generally
recommended, as they may cause the following conditions:
. Abdominal
discomfort
. Gastroesophageal
reflux
.
Pulmonary aspiration
. Dumping syndrome
. Impaired
absorption of nutrients
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