Background: Enteral nutrition (EN) misconnections have been identified as a serious and potential deadly problem. An international effort led by EN industry leaders has developed a small-bore enteral connector (ENFit) that in theory will reduce the frequency of misconnections. Despite the potential benefit of preventing misconnections, the full impact of adoption of the ENFit connector is unknown. To assess the impact of transitioning to ENFit on our home EN (HEN) patients, the current study evaluated gravity feeding comparing 2 proposed small-bore connectors to the legacy (current connector) using various commercial formulas.
Methods: Six commonly used enteral formulas in our facility with varying density and viscosity were tested in triplicate. Forty milliliters of formula was poured into a syringe connected to an ENFit or legacy (current) feeding connector attached to varying French size tubes. The time it took formula to flow through the connectors was recorded, and the test was repeated in triplicate.
Results: All formulas took significantly longer to flow through the first ENFit connector compared with the legacy connector ( P < .05). The second ENFit connector demonstrated similar flow dynamics to the legacy connector.
Conclusions: There is wide variability in the flow dynamics in ENFit connectors with significant potential impact on many facets of HEN, including medicine delivery, blenderized feeds, venting, and compliance with EN due to increased time to administer feeds. We highly recommend additional testing of flow dynamics, including gravity flow, as ENFit tubes are being developed and adopted.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0884533616679141 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
The lingering safety menace: A 10-year review of enteral misconnection adverse events and narrative review.
Nutr Clin Pract
October 2024
McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, UTHealth Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
In 2011, "Tubing Misconnections: Normalization of Deviance" reported >100 cases of enteral tubing misconnections leading to patient harm. Despite development of safer enteral device connectors, 96 new cases of enteral misconnections have been published since 2011. Publication and safety databases were searched for reports from 2011 to 2023.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSecuring the oral and enteral oncopediatric chemotherapy process in pediatric oncology: Introduction of the ENFit™ standard in a controlled-atmosphere area and implementation of a dispensing service of medications to outpatients circuit with advice on proper use.
J Oncol Pharm Pract
April 2024
Pôle Produits de Santé, service de Pharmacie, Centre Oscar Lambret, Lille, France.
Introduction: Oral chemotherapies pediatrics are manufactured from injectable specialties in a controlled-atmosphere area. Packaged in Luer-Lock syringes, the transition to an ENFit™ connector became crucial to enable administration in surveyed patients. In parallel, a study was carried out to optimize and secure patient care by setting up a retrocession circuit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSynthesis of research on ENFit gastrostomy tubes with potential implications for US patients using these devices.
Nutr Clin Pract
August 2022
Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
Misconnections between enteral devices and other medical devices have been associated with patient death and serious injuries. To minimize such misconnections, the design of connectors on enteral devices has been standardized. The most common adaptation of the standardized enteral connector is called ENFit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssessing dosing errors in legacy and low dose tip ENFit syringes.
J Clin Pharm Ther
February 2022
Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
Article Synopsis
- A new standardized connector design (ENFit) was created for enteral medical devices to prevent misconnections, replacing older syringes (legacy syringes) with LDT syringes designed for better dosing accuracy in low volumes (≤2 ml).
- Despite the intention to improve safety, concerns about dosing errors with LDT syringes were necessary to investigate, prompting a study of their performance compared to legacy syringes.
- Results indicated that while maximum errors for LDT and legacy syringes could be similar in some cases, issues like medication residue and syringe reuse significantly increased dosing errors in LDT syringes, raising potential safety risks.
Optimal management of gastrojejunal tube in the ENFit era - Interventions that changed practice.
J Pediatr Surg
August 2021
Department of Paediatric Surgery, Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, Whitechapel Road, London E1 1FR.
Background: We experienced a high incidence of jejunal tube (JEJ) displacement in children who underwent percutaneous endoscopic transgastric jejunostomy (PEGJ), ever since the introduction of ENFit connector (2017).
Methods: Two interventions were introduced in 2018 - fixative suture to PEGJ ENFit connector, and conversion to balloon transgastric-jejunal feeding device (Balloon GJ) whenever possible. Children receiving PEGJ and Balloon GJ in 2.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!