title: Preventing respiratory complications of tube feedings: evidence-based practice.
abstract: The most dreaded complication of tube feedings is tracheobronchial aspiration of gastric contents. Strong evidence indicates that most critically ill tube-fed patients receiving mechanical ventilation aspirate gastric contents at least once during their early days of tube feeding. Those who aspirate frequently are about 4 times more likely to have pneumonia develop than are those who aspirate infrequently. Although a patient's illness might not be modifiable, some risk factors for aspiration can be controlled; among these are malpositioned feeding tubes, improper feeding site, large gastric volume, and supine position. A review of current research-based information to support modification of these risk factors is provided.
authors.affiliation: Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Norma A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Metheny
mesh_terms: D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors