Preventing and managing complications of enteral nutritional support

Complications of enteral nutritional support include mechanical problems related to the feeding device, gastrointestinal side effects, metabolic disturbances, and infectious complications. Although the sickest patients are often the ones that we feel will most likely benefit from nutritional support, they are generally more challenging to feed and least likely to tolerate complications arising from assisted feeding. Many of the problems that can occur with enteral nutritional support can be anticipated, which may allow them to be avoided or possibly aid in early detection and thereby minimize consequences to the patient. Therefore, knowledge of the types of complications that can occur with enteral nutritional support will aid in the process of deciding whether and how a patient should receive assisted feeding, and what parameters to monitor while a patient is receiving nutritional support.