NUTRITION
SUPPORT
NUTRITION SUPPORT
Nutrition support refers to the provision of
nutrients to individuals who are unable to meet their
nutritional needs through regular food intake alone.
This can be due to illness, injury, or medical
procedures that affect appetite, digestion, or
absorption. The goal is to maintain or restore
optimal nutritional status and support recovery.
THERE ARE TWO MAIN TYPES OF
NUTRITION SUPPORT:
Enteral Nutrition (EN) – Parenteral Nutrition (PN) – “IV
“Tube Feeding Feeding”
ENTERAL NUTRITION
Enteral nutrition is a way to give food to someone who
can't eat normally using their mouth. Instead of chewing and
swallowing, the food (in liquid form) goes directly into the
stomach or small intestine through a tube.
When it's used:
It's often used when someone has difficulty swallowing,
cannot eat enough food to meet their needs, or has a medical
condition that prevents them from absorbing nutrients
properly through regular eating.
Methods of delivery:
•Oral: Drinking liquid supplements or consuming specially
formulated foods.
•Tube feeding: Using a tube inserted through the nose
(nasogastric or nasojejunal) or directly into the stomach or
small intestine (gastrostomy or jejunostomy).
Advantages:
•Enteral nutrition can be safer and more effective than
parenteral nutrition (feeding through an IV). It also helps
maintain the function of the digestive system and reduces the
risk of complications associated with IV feeding.
Examples of Enteral Feeding Tubes:
Nasogastric (NG) Tube: Inserted through the
nose into the stomach.
Gastrostomy (G) Tube: Inserted directly into the
stomach through the abdominal wall.
Jejunostomy (J) Tube: Inserted into the jejunum
(part of the small intestine).
POINTS OF ENTERAL NUTRITION
Certain Risk Advantage
•Constipation •Reduced Risk of infection
•GI reflex • Enhanced Quality of Life
•Leakage
•Cost-Effectiveness
•Tube Obstruction (blockage)
•Maintaining Nutritional
•Gastrointestinal Complications
Needs
•Metabolic Complications
•Improved Outcomes
•Refeeding Syndrome
PARENTAL
NUTRITION
Parenteral nutrition is a method of feeding a
person intravenously, bypassing the usual process
of eating and digestion. This is used when the
digestive system cannot be used or is not
functioning properly, and the patient is unable to
absorb nutrients through the gastrointestinal tract.
Parenteral nutrition (PN) is a method of
feeding that delivers essential nutrients directly into
the bloodstream, bypassing the gastrointestinal
tract. It's used when a person cannot eat or absorb
adequate nutrition through the digestive
system. Essentially, it's intravenous feeding,
providing a specialized formula to meet the body's
nutritional needs when other methods aren't
possible or safe.
Types of parental :
Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN): Provides all
the necessary nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates,
fats, vitamins, and minerals) when the patient cannot
eat or drink at all.
Partial Parenteral Nutrition
(PPN): Supplements a patient's oral or enteral
intake when they can't meet all their nutritional
needs through those methods.
P O I N T S O F PA R E N TA L N U T R I T I O N
Complications Advantages
•Glucose Imbalances •Providing complete
• Metabolic Bone Disease nutrition
• Micronutrient
•Supporting
Deficiencies
gastrointestinal recovery
• Refeeding Syndrome
•Managing inflammatory
• Other Complications (eg.
conditions
Bleeding)
•Improving quality of life