Experience of post-pyloric feeding in seriously ill patients in clinical practice

Maintaining nutrition is an integral part of patient care and when it is possible enteral nutrition is regarded as superior to parenteral nutrition. Post-pyloric feeding may enable enteral feeding to be maintained in patients who cannot tolerate nasogastric feeding. The success of post-pyloric feeding in routine clinical practice is uncertain.

One hundred and forty six consecutive patients who had 150 separate episodes of post-pyloric feeding were identified. Casenotes were reviewed to assess indication for post-pyloric feeding, prior use of alternative methods of feeding, success of achieving nutritional requirements and patient outcome.

A post-pyloric tube was successfully placed in 138 (92%) and nutritional requirements were met by post-pyloric feeding alone in 124 (83%). Post-pyloric feeding was used for between 2 and 254 days (median 14 days). Conditions for which post-pyloric feeding was used to administer nutritional support included burn injury, pancreatitis, sepsis, post-operative gastric stasis, bone marrow transplantation and chemotherapy induced vomiting. Fifty (33%) patients had an attempt at nasogastric feeding and 33 (22%) were on total parenteral nutrition before post-pyloric feeding was commenced. There was one major complication of a jejunal ulcer bleed in the series. Minor complications included displacement of the nasojejunal tube and failure to absorb feed related to gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Post-pyloric feeding can be successfully used to maintain enteral nutrition in patients who would otherwise require parenteral nutrition.