How long can you have a feeding tube in after a stroke?
While 20% of patients following a stroke may require enteral tube feeding during the acute phase, 8% will require long-term enteral tube feeding for more than six months [14]. The provision of enteral nutrition is not without any risk of potential harm.
When should an NG tube be removed after a stroke?
Among these patients, the timing of their NG tube removal reached a plateau at 12–16 weeks after stroke. The modified Rankin score on discharge, representing the overall subacute disease status, was the most significant factor.
Do stroke patients need NGT?
To facilitate an enteral diet and to reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonia,12 dysphagic stroke patients often have to be fed for a few days by nasogastric tubes (NGT).
When should you feed a stroke patient?
Items like cooked cereal, mashed potatoes, soup, cottage cheese, and applesauce are all easier to eat. If you want to try tougher foods, cut them into small pieces or chop them in a blender to make them easier to chew. Thicken your liquids. It’s important to drink enough fluid to avoid dehydration.
Why do you need a feeding tube after a stroke?
Clinical guidelines for stroke recovery published by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association recommend feeding tube placement within seven days of a stroke for patients who cannot safely swallow. This helps to avoid malnutrition and associated complications.
Why do stroke patients stop eating?
Difficulty with swallowing (or dysphagia) happens after a stroke because the brain doesn’t activate muscle reflexes at the back of the throat quickly enough, so that food or liquids pass down the throat into the larynx and/or lungs – in other words they can ‘go down the wrong way’.
Is there a benefit to tube feeding after a stroke?
For bedridden post-stroke patients, no reduction was observed. Three retrospective cohort studies comparing patients with and without tube feeding demonstrated no advantage to tube feeding for this purpose. Swallowing studies, such as videofluoroscopy, lack both sensitivity and specificity in predicting who will develop aspiration pneumonia.
How is the enteral tube used for stroke patients?
Enteral tube feeding for dysphagic stroke patients Enteral feeding tubes, a nasogastric tube (NGT) or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), are commonly used to provide nutrition, hydration and essential medications to stroke patients who cannot swallow.
Which is the best feeding method for stroke patients?
NGT feeding is the preferred method for short-term feeding in the acute phase of stroke as it has the advantage of being easily placed at the bedside. However, there are often difficulties inserting the NGT and it can be easily dislodged by agitated and confused patients, leading to potentially fatal complications.
When do you need to use tube feeding?
Background Tube feeding is frequently used in chronically ill and dying patients. The evidence for much of this use is weak at best. The Fast Fact reviews data on the use of tube feeding in advanced illness. Numerous observational studies have demonstrated a high incidence of aspiration pneumonia in those who have been tube fed.