Dispelling Myths and Unfounded Practices About Enteral Nutrition.

Many protocols and steps in the process of enteral nutrition (EN) use are not overly supported with strong research and have been done the same way over many years without questioning the use of best-practices evidence. This article reports many of the myths and unfounded practices surrounding EN and attempts to refute those myths with current evidence. These practices include those about enteral access devices, formulas, enteral administration, and complications.

Dietitians' Evaluation of Clearing Luminal Occlusions of Gunk (DECLOG): A Pilot Feasibility Study.

Background: Tube clogging is the most frequent mechanical complication associated with enteral nutrition. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of a protocol incorporating prophylactic use of a declogging system with enhanced patient education and monitoring to proactively reduce the incidence of tube occlusions in the home care setting.

Methods: A convenient sample of patients discharged from hospital to home enteral nutrition (HEN) was screened for eligibility and randomized to control group (standard care) or study group (standard care with prophylactic protocol and monitoring).