• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.345-354
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• 1995

Blenderized diets are not recommended because of difficulties in providing a constant content of nutrients, phoblems with viscosity and osmolarity, time needed for preparation, and increased risk of contamination. To determine the possibility of substituting commercial formulas for blenderized diets, 27 unconscious patients were randomized into two different groups : blenderized diet group(n=11) and commercial formula group(n=16). Blenderized diets were composed of food sources such as rice, milk, egg, juices and others, and its energy percentage of protein, fat, and carbohydrate was 15%, 30%, and 55%, respetively. Commercial enteral formulas provided 1 kcal/ml and the energy percentage of protein, fat and carbohydrate was 25%, 20% and 55% in greenbia(G) and 20%, 20%, and 60% in Greenbia-DM(GD), repectively. In commercial formula group, five patients with diarrhea, constipation, and high blood glucose level received GD, and the other eleven patients received G. All patients received their lipuid diet for 4 weeks through 16 French rubber nasogastric tube by bolus feeding 6 times daily. The patients in commercial formula group had a similar mean daily calorie intake to the patient in blenderized diet group, 32-34kcal/kg/d and 30-35kcal/kg/d, respectively. Patients given commercial formula gained an averge of 1.7kg in weight but those given blenderized diet lost an average of 2.6kg. There was a trend toward an increase in percent ideal body weight in commercial formula group(94$\pm$5 vs 99$\pm$6%). However, blenderized diet group showed a trend toward a decrease in percent ideal body weight(106$\pm$5 vs $101\pm$6%). The initial levels of total lymphocyte counts, serum albumin and tranferrin were below the normal rante, The mean daily protein intake was significanlty higher for commercial formula group(2.0-2.1g/kg/d) than for blenderized diet group(1.1-1.3g/kg/d). Patient fed cormmercial formula for 4 weeks showed a trend toward an increase in serum albumin(8.1%) and a significant increase in serum transferrin(32.1%) without increasing the levels of blood glucose. GOT, GPT, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. In the blenderized diet group, however, no significant improvement were obseved in the concentration of serum albumin and transferin, compared to initial value. There was a trend toward a decrese in the level of hemoglobin and hematocrit in blenderized deit group but no significnat change in commercial formulas goups. All patients tolerated both diets well and no significant complications were encountered. The results indicate that the commercial enteral formulas tested in this study can be an effective substitution for blenderized diet in unconscious tube-fed patients.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.793-803
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• 1993

This study was designed to measure viscosity, osmolality and in vitro flow rates via nasogastric tubes for 6 types of commercially available and 9 hospital-blenderized enteral solutions and to examine the effect of viscosity and osmolaility of enteral formula on the flow rates in gravity drip administration. Each solution was infused through 18, 16, 14, 12 French sizes of silicone rubber tube. Flow rates were measured six times at $25^{\circ}C$ using formula bags and drip sets hung at a uniform height on a intravenous drip stand with tube uniformly positioned in collecting container. Viscosity ranged widely from 16.0 to 195.5 cps with mean, 64.61$\pm$64.42 for hospital-blenderized formula while mean viscosity of commercial formula was 7.60$\pm$4.84 cps. Mean osmolality of commercial formula and hospital-blenderized formula were 370$\pm$100.80, 540.33$\pm$89.37 mOsm/kg respectively. There was negative relationship between viscosity of formula and flow rates through tubes but no significant relationship between flow rates and osmolalty. Some of hospital-blenderized formula was too viscous to be infused througth tube with gravity drip administration and the recipe of formula requires to be modiifed. On the other hand, commercial formula with the low viscosity flows too rapidly with large bore size tubes. Smaller size of tube must be selected for hyperosmolar solution to decrease possible side effects associated with tube feeding. Two kinds of regression equations for flow rates obtained according to viscosity and tube sizes were also presented for the purpose of practical uses. In conclusion, this study emphasizes that viscosity of fomula, osmolality, patient's tolerance and comfort, caloric density should be considered in the selection of tubes for gravify drip administration.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.668-683
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• 1992

To evaluate the current practices of the tube feeding and the status of tube feeding patient 76 adult in-patients at 6 hospitals located in Seoul and Chung-buk province were examined through reviewing patient charts observing patients and interviewing patients nurses dietitians patients' family or care-givers. The results were as follows : 1) An average age of the patients was 54.5 years with 41% over 60 years old. Patients with decreased mental status dysphagia esophageal obstruction and respiratory problem were fed by tubes. 2) The range of duration of tube feeding is between 4 days and 6 years. Most patients were received formula through nasogastric tube(89.5%) while 7.9% of gastrostomy and 2.6% of jejunostomy. Administration method for formula were bolus feeding regardless of the route of formula delivery. 3) Mean total calories received for men were 1590 kcal and 1450 kcal for female. Mean volume per meal was 282m, l and mean frequency of feeding was 5.68 while mean feeding interval 3$\frac{1}{4}$ hours and mean rate of infusion 68.4ml/min. All patients received hospital-blenderi-zed formula as the major source of nutrition. Home-blenderized formula and commercial formula as a supplement were used 35%, 13.2% respectively. 4) Thirty-eight percent of patients was hypoalbuminemia and 61% was at the moderate level of deficiency in hemoglobin. 5) Complications associated with tube feeding were diarrhea (22.4%) constipation(21.1%) vomiting(11.8%) and so on. 6) Serum albumin levels of patients who have complications associated with tube feeding were significantly lower than those of patients without complications In planning a tube feeding regimen the type of a formula must be integrated with both a delivery system and a protocol for administering the tube feeding. the multidisciplinary effort required to deliver enteral therapy is essential to improve current practices used at hospitals.