The hidden burden of community enteral feeding on the emergency department
Abstract
Abstract Background Enteral feeding tubes are associated with their most serious complications in the days and weeks after insertion, but there is limited published data in the literature on late complications and the implications for the healthcare service. Methods Retrospective observational study of attendances to a UK hospital emergency department with enteral tube complications as the primary reason for attendance. Results Over 24 months 139 attendances were recorded. Dislodged tubes and blocked tubes accounted for the majority of complications and subsequent admissions, with a mixture of enteral tube types being associated with both. Thirty-five percent were admitted and the average healthcare cost per attendance was $1071. Conclusions Enteral tube complications can place a hidden burden on the patient, on ED and on healthcare costs. More work on education and supporting carers to resolve problems themselves could reduce the burden on busy emergency departments.Citation
Barrett, D., Li, V., Merrick, S., Murugananthan, A. et al. (2021), The Hidden Burden of Community Enteral Feeding on the Emergency Department. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 45 (6) pp. 1347-1351. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpen.2021Publisher
WileyJournal
Journal of Parenteral and Enteral NutritionAdditional Links
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jpen.2021Type
Journal articleLanguage
enDescription
© 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1002/jpen.2021ISSN
0148-6071ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1002/jpen.2021
Scopus Count
Collections
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/