What Is Enteral And Parenteral Nutrition?
Enteral and parenteral nutrition are two means of delivering nutrition to patients who cannot digest food normally. Enteral feeding delivers liquid nutrition through a catheter inserted directly into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Parenteral nutrition provides nutrition intravenously, or directly into the bloodstream. Both enteral and parenteral nutrition are provided in liquid form and can include medicine as well as food. Because it presents less risk, enteral feeding is preferred to intravenous feeding when the option is available.
Enteral and parenteral nutrition are two means of delivering nutrition to patients who cannot digest food normally. Enteral feeding delivers liquid nutrition through a catheter inserted directly into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Parenteral nutrition provides nutrition intravenously, or directly into the bloodstream. Both enteral and parenteral nutrition are provided in liquid form and can include medicine as well as food. Because it presents less risk, enteral feeding is preferred to intravenous feeding when the option is available. Enteral and parenteral nutrition are used on patients who have damaged or non-functioning GI tracts. The GI tract is the group of organs through which food travels to be digested and excreted. These organs include the mouth, where food is taken into the body, the pharynx, the esophagus, the stomach, and the intestines, or bowels, which are responsible for the final break-down, absorption, and excretion of food.
