What is the difference between enteral feeding and TPN?
You also may have heard of enteral feeding. Enteral (pronounced en-ter-al) nutrition is another way a person can receive the nutrients he or she needs to survive. Enteral nutrition is also called tube feeding. Enteral nutrition is used when a person’s digestive system works to some extent. The feeding is given directly into a part of the digestive system. It can be through a gastrostomy tube (g-tube) in the stomach or a jejunostomy tube (j-tube) in the small intestine. Enteral solution is thicker than TPN. It may have the consistency of a milkshake. Total parenteral nutrition bypasses the digestive system entirely and goes directly into the bloodstream, where the nutrients are absorbed. The solution is given through a catheter that has been placed in a vein.
