Flexible endoscopy and enteral nutrition

Area of Science:

• Clinical Nutrition
• Gastroenterology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Intensive nutritional support is standard for critically ill patients to meet metabolic demands.
• Enteral feeding offers superior metabolic support compared to long-term intravenous methods.
• Endoscopic placement of enteral access devices is increasingly common.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role and methods of endoscopic enteral access placement.
• To highlight the benefits of enteral feeding over parenteral nutrition.
• To discuss specific endoscopic techniques for nutritional support.

Main Methods:

• Review of endoscopic techniques for enteral access.
• Discussion of transoral and percutaneous placement of feeding tubes.
• Comparison of nasoenteric tubes, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), and jejunostomy.

Main Results:

• Endoscopic placement facilitates nasoenteric feeding tube insertion.
• Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and jejunostomy are reliable access methods.
• Jejunal feeding tubes minimize gastric reflux and provide long-term enteral support.

Conclusions:

• Endoscopic enteral access is vital for nutritional support in critically ill patients.
• Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and jejunostomy are effective and reliable procedures.
• Jejunal feeding tubes are a preferred long-term solution due to reduced reflux.