Feeding to a person with a nasogastric tube, usually called an enteral diet, should be done with foods well mashed in the blender and strained, so that they are liquid in consistency. In addition, juices should be made in the centrifuge.
There are also ready-to-eat meals, such as Fresubin, Cubitan, Nutrirink, Nutren or Diason, for example, which can be bought in pharmacies in powder form, costing up to 60 reais or in prepared 200ml units that can cost between 15 and 30 reais.
Generally, the patient also makes a nutritional supplementation indicated by the doctor that can be added in the preparation of the foods of one of the meals. Supplementation in fiber is very frequent especially when the patient has the probe for a long time.
Nasogastric tube feeding menu
This example menu is an option for a food day for a person who needs to be fed by a nasogastric tube.
Breakfast - Liquid fowl porridge.
Collation - Strawberry Vitamin.
Lunch - Carrot, potato, pumpkin and turkey soup. Orange juice.
Snack - Avocado vitamin.
Dinner - Cauliflower soup ground chicken and pasta. Juice of acerola.
Supper - Liquid yogurt.
In addition, it is important to give the patient water by the probe, about 1.5 to 2 liters throughout the day and not use the water just to flush the probe.
When to give the meal by tube
To know whether or not the patient can receive the next meal, some care is needed, such as:
- Before giving meals suck the contents of the stomach with the syringe, to check if the stomach is empty;
- If liquid does not flow into the syringe, give the meal;
- If fluid leaks into the syringe, return the contents to the stomach and wait for the patient to do the digestion;
- When the content that comes out is more than half of the previous meal, you should not give this meal, for example if you give the snack and the syringe is full, do not give yourself the snack and then repeat the procedure at dinner time ;
- When the content is less than half, the meal may be given in half the amount.
When liquid often comes out before giving the meal it means that the previous meal has not been digested by the patient, and the doctor should be informed as it may be necessary to feed through the vein.
Indications for the use of nasogastric tube
Nasogastric tube feeding is indicated by the physician when the patient is unable to chew or swallow the food, which may happen if:
- Cancer in the mouth or esophagus;
- Performing surgeries on the mouth, throat or esophagus;
- Neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, or stroke;
- Esophageal spasm;
- Myasthenia gravis;
- Muscular dystrophy.
The enteral diet can also be used in patients who refuse to feed as in the case of anorexia nervosa.
