Diarrhea induced by enteral feeding

Diarrhea is reported as a major complication of enteral feeding. Recent studies show that there is a staggering amount of confusion in defining diarrhea in this setting. This causes major problems both in estimating the incidence of diarrhea, as well as determining its clinical impact. In many cases, careful review of the patients' records and evaluation of the diarrhea may lead to its accurate diagnosis and treatment. The frustration involved in the management of these patients may lead investigators to measure quantitatively the patient's fecal output and to come up with a standardized definition of diarrhea. We describe here three cases that show various forms of enteral feeding-induced diarrhea. Subsequently we will review the important issues regarding the definition of related diarrhea and attempt to understand its pathogenesis.