Effect factors and solutions of medication administration via enteral feeding tubes

When oral intake is inadequate or not recommended for a prolonged period of time,patients may require an alternative method of feeding,either enterally or parenterally.Once an enteral route is established for nutrition delivery,drug therapy can also be administered via this route.The combination of enteral nutrition and drug therapy brings about questions of bioavailability,compatibility,complications and interactions.Several issues must be considered with concurrent administration of oral medications and enteral formulas,particularly continuous enteral feeding,because incorrect administration methods may result in clogged feeding tubes,decreased drug effectiveness,increased adverse effects and drug-formula incompatibilities.This article provides a general overview on effect factors of medication administration via enteral feeding tubes,including drug administration techniques,considerations for drug formulation selection,common drug interactions with enteral formulas and methods to minimize tube occlusions.