MEANING OF ENTERAL FEEDING

Enteral feeding may mean nutrition taken through mouth or through a tube
that goes directly to the stomach or small intestine. In medical setting, the
term enteral feeding is most often used to mean tube feeding. A person on
enteral feeds usually has a condition or injury that prevents eating a regular
diet by mouth, but their GI Tract is still able to function. Being fed through a
tube allows such patients to receive nutrition and keep their gastro intestinal
tract working.

The types of enteral feeding tube includes six types:-

1. Nasogastric tube (Ryle’s tube) starts in the nose and ends in the stomach
2. Orogastric tube starts in the mouth and ends in the stomach
3. Nasoenteric tube starts in the nose and ends in the intestines (subtypes
includes nasojejunal and nasoduodenal tubes)
4. Oroenteric tube starts in the mouth and ends in the intestines.
5. Gastrostomy tube is placed through the skin of the abdomen straight to
the stomach(subtypes include PEG,PRG and button tubes)
6. Jejunostomy tube is placed through the skin of the abdomen straight
into the intestines.

The commonly used ones are

 Ryle’s tube or nasogastric tube

 Gastrostomy tube
 Jejunostomy tube

GASTROSTOMY TUBE FEEDING

Gastro means “stomach” and ostomy means “opening”, therefore by the term
gastrostomy can understand there is an artificial opening made into the
stomach directly through the skin. Through this opening a feeding tube which
we call a gastrostomy tube, is inserted directly into the stomach and this tube
is fixed( stitched) with the abdominal wall to prevent the tube slipping from
situ (position) for providing liquid feeds to the patient.

The gastrostomy tube is also called as catheter which is self retaining in nature
( self retaining means it stays in the required position by itself)
 GASTROSTO
MY TUBE FEEDING
SOMETIMES DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF GASTROSTOMY TUBE DOCTORS MAY
USE FOLEYS CATHETER TO IMPROVISE IT AS GASTROSTOMY TUBE

INDICATIONS FOR GASTROSTOMY

1. People who cannot swallow correctly
2. Surgery on oesophagus
3. Stricture (narrowing) of oesophagus
4. Cancer of mouth, oesophagus and cancers of the upper GI tract
5. Stroke and other neurological disorders, which may impair ability to swallow
6. Babies with birth defects of the mouth, oesophagus, or stomach
7. Critical illness or injury which reduces energy or ability to eat

REFER YOUR BOOK PAGE 270

PLEASE SEE THE VIDEO OF GASTROSTOMY FEEDING