[The protocolization and follow-up of enteral nutrition. 2 years of experience]

The Artificial Nutrition Unit was set up in 1980 in the Pharmacy Service, with the objective of preparing parenteral nutritional units. Different protocols were prepared, approved by the Commission of Pharmacy and Therapeutics. From 1986 onwards, follow-up was commenced and since March 1988, nutritional evaluation of the patients on enteral nutrition has been performed. Encouraged by the results obtained, a proposal for protocolizing enteral nutrition was put to the Commission of Pharmacy and Therapeutics, which was approved in December 1988. The main objective was to select the enteral diets which would be used as a formula for existing hospital diets and, after establishing this formula, protocolize the indications that would assists in selecting from among the diets available, the ones that would best adapt to the individual needs of each patient. As a secondary objective, the Artificial Nutrition Unit took on the responsibility of processing the medical instructions and dispensing enteral diets using the dosage/patient/day distribution system. It also provides information to medical and nursing staff on existing diets, as well as on rules for administration and storage in nursing units, providing when necessary the most suitable containers, equipment and pumps for administering the diets. It also carries out a nutritional evaluation of patients exclusively on enteral nutrition, as well as follow-up of these. Finally, it prepares the monthly actual cost figures generated by each nursing unit, since diets not administered after twenty-four hours are returned to the Nutrition Unit. One problem existing is the non-administration of products or patients who refuse to take their diets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)