Nutritional Therapy – Gradual Transition To
Continuous Enteral Feeding
The second stage begins once the patient is stabilized.
The introduction of nutrition into the digestive system, called enteral
feeding, is usually done through the use of an elemental diet. Elemental
diets are preparations containing a mixture of essential amino acids,
carbohydrates, balanced electrolytes, and other nutrients, including a
kind of fat that is easy to digest. These nutrients provide calories,
require only minimal digestion, and are theoretically better absorbed
in a shorter intestine than food found in a conventional diet. Because
elemental diets are unpalatable, they are usually given through a small
nasogastric tube, in a continuous drip
during a 24-hour period. It is important to begin enteral feeding as soon
after surgery as possible, because nutrients in the intestinal lumen are
required to stimulate the adaptation process. When a patient is on TPN,
nutrients are delivered directly into the blood, bypassing the GI tract.
With enteral feeding, food is still not being taken in orally, but nutrients
are being introduced into the GI tract, stimulating intestinal adaptation.
During this phase, parenteral nutrition may also be needed if enteral
absorption is not yet sufficient to provide adequate nutrition to the
body. The goals of this transition period are to prevent malnutrition,
control fluid loss, and stimulate intestinal adaptation.
This information
is provided as a general educational service
and is not intended to recommend any particular treatment plan
or to replace the advice of physicians. It is important that patients
seek and rely on the advice of a healthcare professional
about their individual medical conditions.
