Biomaterial Database

Drug administration through an enteral feeding tube. 2009

Joseph I Boullata

School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA. boullata@nursing.upenn.edu

Guidelines for the safe administration of drugs through an enteral feeding tube are available, but research shows that often nurses don't adhere to them. This can lead to medication error and tube obstruction, reduced drug effectiveness, and an increased risk of toxicity. This article describes the factors to consider before administering a drug through a feeding tube, examines the gap between recommended and common practice, and discusses what the most recent guidelines recommend and why.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007441	Intubation, Gastrointestinal	The insertion of a tube into the stomach, intestines, or other portion of the gastrointestinal tract to allow for the passage of food products, etc.	Intubation, Nasogastric,Gastrointestinal Intubation,Gastrointestinal Intubations,Intubations, Gastrointestinal,Intubations, Nasogastric,Nasogastric Intubation,Nasogastric Intubations
D010599	Pharmacokinetics	Dynamic and kinetic mechanisms of exogenous chemical DRUG LIBERATION; ABSORPTION; BIOLOGICAL TRANSPORT; TISSUE DISTRIBUTION; BIOTRANSFORMATION; elimination; and DRUG TOXICITY as a function of dosage, and rate of METABOLISM. LADMER, ADME and ADMET are abbreviations for liberation, absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and toxicology.	ADME,ADME-Tox,ADMET,Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Elimination, and Toxicology,Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Elimination,Drug Kinetics,Kinetics, Drug,LADMER,Liberation, Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Elimination, and Response
D004333	Drug Administration Routes	The various ways of administering a drug or other chemical to a site in a patient or animal from where the chemical is absorbed into the blood and delivered to the target tissue.	Administration Routes, Drug,Administration Route, Drug,Drug Administration Route,Route, Drug Administration,Routes, Drug Administration
D004358	Drug Therapy	The use of DRUGS to treat a DISEASE or its symptoms. One example is the use of ANTINEOPLASTIC AGENTS to treat CANCER.	Chemotherapy,Pharmacotherapy,Therapy, Drug,Chemotherapies,Drug Therapies,Pharmacotherapies,Therapies, Drug
D004364	Pharmaceutical Preparations	Drugs intended for human or veterinary use, presented in their finished dosage form. Included here are materials used in the preparation and/or formulation of the finished dosage form.	Drug,Drugs,Pharmaceutical,Pharmaceutical Preparation,Pharmaceutical Product,Pharmaceutic Preparations,Pharmaceutical Products,Pharmaceuticals,Preparations, Pharmaceutical,Preparation, Pharmaceutical,Preparations, Pharmaceutic,Product, Pharmaceutical,Products, Pharmaceutical
D004750	Enteral Nutrition	Nutritional support given via the alimentary canal or any route connected to the gastrointestinal system (i.e., the enteral route). This includes oral feeding, sip feeding, and tube feeding using nasogastric, gastrostomy, and jejunostomy tubes.	Enteral Feeding,Force Feeding,Nutrition, Enteral,Tube Feeding,Gastric Feeding Tubes,Feeding Tube, Gastric,Feeding Tubes, Gastric,Feeding, Enteral,Feeding, Force,Feeding, Tube,Feedings, Force,Force Feedings,Gastric Feeding Tube,Tube, Gastric Feeding,Tubes, Gastric Feeding
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D017410	Practice Guidelines as Topic	Works about directions or principles presenting current or future rules of policy for assisting health care practitioners in patient care decisions regarding diagnosis, therapy, or related clinical circumstances. The guidelines may be developed by government agencies at any level, institutions, professional societies, governing boards, or by the convening of expert panels. The guidelines form a basis for the evaluation of all aspects of health care and delivery.	Clinical Guidelines as Topic,Best Practices,Best Practice