Is a 24-h cyclic closed enteral feeding system microbiologically safe in geriatric patients?
OBJECTIVE
The microbiological quality of a 1-l closed enteral feeding system (CS) was prospectively monitored under clinical conditions simulating cyclic feeding over a 24-h period in geriatric patients.


METHODS
The set was connected after diet sampling (T0). After 5-h feeding, the set was disconnected and a sample taken (T5). Diet was sampled after 12 h before (T12A) and after a 10 ml diet-flush of the set (T12B), after 24-h (T24) and in the pouch (P24). Concentrations of micro-organisms were considered significant when above 10(4) colony-forming units per millilitre.


RESULTS
Twenty-one CS were examined. T0 samples were all sterile; 10 out of 21 T5 were contaminated. The microbiological content of the diet was lower in T12B, compared to T12A (P=0.002). None of the P24 samples was contaminated; 19 were sterile and two contained low levels of micro-organisms that had been previously found in the sets.


CONCLUSIONS
The CS was sterile before connecting to the patient. Retrograde contamination of the set was observed without contamination of the pouch after 24-h hanging time. Performing a diet-flush decreased the rate of diet contamination at the distal extremity of the set. Thus, cyclic enteral nutrition using the same pouch during a 24-h period seems to be safe in geriatric patients.
Lafourcade
P
P
Centre de gériatrie Henri Choussat, Hôpital Xavier Arnozan, CHU de Bordeaux, Pessac Cedex, France.
Boulestrau
H
H
Arnaud-Battandier
F
F
Rogues
A-M
AM
Texier-Maugein
J
J
Pinganaud
G
G
Bourdel-Marchasson
I
I
D000368:Aged; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005526:Food, Formulated / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors