Enteral feeding misconnections: an update.

Enteral misconnections are defined as inadvertent connections between enteral feeding systems and nonenteral systems such as intravascular lines, peritoneal dialysis catheters, tracheostomy tube cuffs, medical gas tubing, and so on. Sentinel event data and causative factors are outlined along with potential solutions to prevent such medical errors. The solutions can be grouped into 3 areas: (1) education, awareness, and human factors; (2) purchasing strategies; and (3) design changes. Updates on safety innovations and programs are presented.