Continuous Compared With Intermittent Tube Feeding in the Elderly

Abstract

The methods of continuous (C) and intermittent (I) nasogastric tube feedings in 60 patients, 54 men and 6 women, with a mean age of 72 +/- 9 years were compared in terms of number of complications, staff time used, and caloric intake. Patients were randomly assigned between these two methods and followed for 7 days. Diarrhea, aspiration pneumonia, clogged tubes, and self-extubation were observed in both groups. Diarrhea was significantly more frequent (96% of 30 patients) in the I group than the C group (66% of 30 patients) (p < .008). Furthermore, diarrhea was more prolonged (4 days or more) in 64% of 30 patients in the I group than the C group (4 days or more) in 58% of 30 patients (p < .02). However, clogged tubes occurred 3 times more often in the C group (p < .01). Self-extubation and aspiration pneumonia tend to be more frequent in the I group but the difference was not significant. The average time used by staff nurses in the maintenance of NGT feedings was not significantly longer in the I group (48.45 +/- 11 min/patient per day) than the C group (46.46 +/- 11 min/patient per day). In the C group the mean calories recommended were 2248 +/- 36 kcal/day but the actual caloric intake was only 1465 +/- 281 kcal/day, a deficiency of 783 +/- 291 kcal/day. The recommended calorie count for the I group was 2021 +/- 5 kcal/day but the amount delivered was only 1226 +/- 254 kcal/day, which resulted in a deficit of 795 +/- 259 kcal/day.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Prospective Randomized Control Trial of Intermittent Versus Continuous Gastric Feeds for Critically Ill Trauma Patients

“…9 -11 The increased frequency and duration of diarrhea observed by Ciocon et al in patients receiving intermittent feedings was not demonstrated in our patients. 11 The difference may be a result of the age difference between the two populations investigated, because our intermittent group feeding regimens were identical.…”

Current management of endoscopic feeding tube dysfunction

“…A lower incidence of feeding tube obstruction occurs with intermittent than with continuous tube feeding [3]. This observation presumably is due to delivery of a greater formula volume at a higher pressure.…”

Patients living with home enteral tube feeding: Side effects, health-related quality of life and nutritional care

“…Tube feeding methods have been studied and compared in several studies, mostly for patients in a hospital setting [37,38] and in healthy volunteers [12,39] . These studies have mainly focused on diarrhea and appetite, and no consensus has been reached about one preferable method.…”