Gut feelings about gut feeding: enteral feeding for ventilated patients in a district general hospital

This article looks at the role that nutrition plays in the maintenance of gut integrity and function in the critically ill patient. It refers to previous studies that have highlighted the relevance of facilitating the bacteriocidal function of gastric secretions as a means to minimize the development of nosocomial pneumonias in ventilated patients. A small trial was set up to investigate the merits and difficulties associated with two different enteral feeding regimes for ventilated patients in the intensive therapy unit (ITU) of a district general hospital. This project and its results are described and evaluated; conclusions and issues for practice are highlighted.