Enteral Feeding (Infection Control Aspects)

Introduction

Enteral feeding is a method of artificially feeding patients and is carried out both in Hospital and Community settings where patients are unable to take food orally or who do not take in a sufficient oral amount to meet their nutritional requirements.

Enteral feeding is delivered in a number of ways using different tubes each of which presents a risk of infection.

Content

• Methods of administrating enteral feeding
• Sources of contamination and infection in a feeding system
• Storage, reconstitution and administration of enteral feeds
• Care of feeding tubes and stoma sites