Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 21, 2025

A Clinical Trial Assessing the Safety, Efficacy, and Delivery of Olive-Oil-Based Three-Chamber Bags for Parenteral Nutrition
04:53

A Clinical Trial Assessing the Safety, Efficacy, and Delivery of Olive-Oil-Based Three-Chamber Bags for Parenteral Nutrition

Published on: September 20, 2019

10.8K

Is bolus or continuous enteral feeding better in critically ill children: An evidence-based review

Hayley Littler1, Lyvonne N Tume2

  • 1Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK.

Nursing in Critical Care
|May 31, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Enteral nutrition for mechanically ventilated children in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) can be given intermittently or continuously. Evidence suggests bolus feeding may help children reach nutritional goals faster, but more research is needed.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Intensive Care
  • Clinical Nutrition
  • Mechanical Ventilation

Background:

  • Inadequate nutrition increases morbidity and mortality in mechanically ventilated children in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
  • Enteral feeding practices vary in UK PICUs, with options including gravity bolus (intermittent) and continuous pump feeding.
  • Optimal enteral feeding strategies are crucial for improving outcomes in critically ill children.

Conclusions:

  • Current evidence comparing bolus and continuous enteral feeding in mechanically ventilated children is conflicting.
  • While bolus feeding might offer advantages in meeting nutritional goals, further research is essential.
  • More studies are needed to establish whether feeding method impacts critical patient outcomes in the PICU.

Keywords:
nutritionpaediatric intensive/critical care

More Related Videos

Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation11:19

Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation

Published on: January 17, 2011

17.7K
Effect of Hyaluronic Acid 35 kDa on an In Vitro Model of Preterm Small Intestinal Injury and Healing Using Enteroid-Derived Monolayers09:36

Effect of Hyaluronic Acid 35 kDa on an In Vitro Model of Preterm Small Intestinal Injury and Healing Using Enteroid-Derived Monolayers

Published on: July 28, 2022

2.3K

Related Concept Videos

Enteral Nutrition II: Nasointestinal and Gastrostomy Feeding01:15

Enteral Nutrition II: Nasointestinal and Gastrostomy Feeding

Enteral nutrition encompasses various methods of delivering nutrition directly to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, bypassing traditional oral intake. It is particularly beneficial for patients who cannot eat by mouth but have a functioning digestive system. Key methods include nasointestinal feeding, gastrostomy, and jejunostomy, each suited to different clinical scenarios based on the patient's needs and condition.
Nasointestinal Feeding
Nasointestinal feeding involves placing a tube...
311
Enteral Nutrition I: Orogastric and Nasogastric Feeding01:26

Enteral Nutrition I: Orogastric and Nasogastric Feeding

Enteral nutrition delivers nutrients directly to the stomach or small intestine through a tube. This method is appropriate for patients who cannot eat but still have a functioning digestive system. It is also beneficial for individuals with swallowing difficulties, anorexia, malabsorption, or those who have undergone gastrointestinal (GI) surgery.
Orogastric (OG) and nasogastric (NG) feeding are two standard methods used for enteral nutrition. Enteral nutrition is often preferred over...
492
One-Compartment Open Model for IV Bolus Administration: General Considerations01:19

One-Compartment Open Model for IV Bolus Administration: General Considerations

The one-compartment model is a pharmacokinetic tool that models the body as a single, uniform compartment, facilitating the understanding of drug distribution and elimination. This model is particularly beneficial for intravenous (IV) bolus administration, where the drug rapidly circulates throughout the body.
The drug's presence in the body is defined by an equation representing the difference between the rates of drug entry and exit. Key parameters—elimination rate constant,...
337
Two-Compartment Open Model: IV Bolus Administration01:18

Two-Compartment Open Model: IV Bolus Administration

The two-compartment model for intravenous (IV) bolus administration illustrates drug distribution in the body, subdividing it into central and peripheral compartments. This model operates on the concept of two-compartment kinetics. The drug's plasma concentration shows a bi-exponential decline following IV bolus administration, signaling the presence of two disposition processes: distribution and elimination.
The disparity between drug input and the sum of drug transfer rates between...
723
One-Compartment Open Model for IV Bolus Administration: Estimation of Clearance00:56

One-Compartment Open Model for IV Bolus Administration: Estimation of Clearance

Clearance is a key pharmacokinetic parameter that quantifies the volume of body fluid from which a drug is entirely removed within a specific time frame. It is crucial in assessing how a drug is eliminated from the body and has critical clinical applications.
In the one-compartment open model for intravenous (IV) bolus administration, clearance is estimated by dividing the elimination rate by the plasma drug concentration. This equation leverages the elimination rate constant and the apparent...
150
Drug Delivery: Enteral Route01:18

Drug Delivery: Enteral Route

The enteral drug administration involves three primary routes: oral, sublingual, and buccal. Oral ingestion is the most prevalent, safe, economical, and convenient method for drug administration. However, it has certain drawbacks, including limited absorption due to the drug's low water solubility or poor membrane permeability, possible emesis from GI mucosa irritation, destruction of drugs by digestive enzymes or low gastric pH, and irregular absorption along with food or other drugs.
767