Enteral Nutrition in the ICU: Where Should the Feeding Tube Go?

Critically ill patients who received duodenal versus gastric feeding had better nutritional support and fewer episodes of VAP, but length of stay and short-term mortality were unaffected.

In critically ill patients, enteral nutrition is associated with better immune function and less short-term mortality. But whether feeding beyond the stomach (into the duodenum or jejunum) provides better nutritional support and clinical outcomes is unclear.

Researchers at a university-affiliated medical center in Taiwan randomized 121 patients in the medical intensive care unit to nasogastric (NG) or nasoduodenal (ND) feeding. Mean time in the study was 11 days. The ND group had a significantly higher mean daily calorie intake (1658 vs. 1426 kcal) and daily protein intake (67.9 vs. 58.8 g) than the NG group did. The ND group also reached the target nutrition rate earlier than the NG group did (32.4 vs. 54.4 hours). Patients in the ND group …

Reviewing Author

Neil H. Winawer, MD, FHM

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Neil H. Winawer, MD, FHM

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Enteral Nutrition in the ICU: Where Should the Feeding Tube Go?

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Reviewing Author