Challenges of Gastric Versus Post-pyloric Feeding in COVID-19 Disease.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented challenge to the critical care providers caring for those patients, including the delivery of nutrition. This review will address the challenges of gastric versus post gastric feeding in patients in COVID-19 disease. Many societies, including American, British, and Australian recommend initiating of enteral feeding in COVID-19 patients as soon as 24h of ICU admission or within 12h after intubation. Consideration for post-pyloric feeding if there is evidence of intolerance to gastric feeding. The same principle for non-COVID-19 critically ill patients applies to COVID-19 patients when it comes to the route of nutritional delivery. Gastric feeding should be initiated as soon as 24h of admission to the ICU, and post gastric feeding should be reserved to patients who demonstrate gastric feeding intolerance.