Preparations for enteral nutrition: an overview

Abstract

Enteral nutrition is the delivery of specially formulated nutrients, called enteral preparations, either orally or via tubes to meet patients' nutritional needs and avoid malnutrition. These feeds can be life-changing or lifesaving for patients. There are three broad enteral feed types: polymeric; pre-digested and disease-specific; and immune-enhancing. This article outlines the importance and involvement of nurses in the enteral feed process, including the selection and administration of enteral feeds, as well as presenting a summary of enteral preparations, their safety and evidence-based efficacy. Nurses should work within a well-coordinated multidisciplinary team, use existing knowledge and resources and refer to national guidelines, as well as practising in line with their professional roles and responsibilities to select and administer enteral preparations and continually monitor patients receiving enteral nutrition. Research has identified that enteral nutrition intolerance is an issue, particularly among critically ill patients. However, polymeric formula has been found to improve daily energy intake and tolerance and it is more cost-effective compared with semi-elemental formula in brain-injured critically ill patients. Immune-enhancing enteral nutrition could improve the immune function in patients with severe neurological diseases. While these findings are promising and can support enteral nutrition, there is a need for more research into the efficacy of specific formulas for certain conditions and for continuing to address enteral nutrition intolerance.