Enteral feeding is a way for many veterans to receive the nutrition they need if they cannot eat traditionally. This therapy dates back 3500 years ago to ancient Greece and Egypt and has been used ever since. Reasons for receiving enteral nutrition include trauma, GI disorders, cancer, malnutrition, and critical illness such as stroke or burns.
When receiving enteral feedings, clients receive a formulation of liquid nutrients administered into the stomach or upper intestine via a programmable pump. Traditionally, people receiving enteral nutrition would have to be hooked up to bulky equipment for several hours of the day. This type of therapy could require a client to be homebound and significantly limit their interactions with society. Today, portable equipment makes life with enteral nutrition more accessible and mobile.
PORTABLE ENTERAL FEEDINGS
When considering enteral feeding options, many people do not want to be anchored to a device or restricted by their need for nutrition. Enteral feedings can be administered continuously at a set volume rate per hour or intermittently over set periods of time (bolus feedings).
The rate and volume of the feeding should be determined by a nutritionist or healthcare provider specializing in nutrition, such as a gastroenterologist. Enteral feedings are commonly administered via nasogastric (NG) tube, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG tube), or gastrostomy button (g-button). Clients needing nutrition administered into the intestines may have a nasojejunal (NJ) tube or jejunostomy (J) tube. Specialized formulas are then administered via the tubes to their intended locations to allow for absorption of the nutrients.
Once the nutritional goal is set, clients should adhere to their ordered schedule to ensure their needs are met. This means that for several hours, or even continuously throughout the day, clients will be attached to a medical pump to ensure that the nutrition is administered properly. This program may feel overwhelming to clients at first, but with increased portability, clients will find that their lives can continue while they are also receiving the nutrition they need.
ENTERAL FEEDING PUMPS
Specialized portable enteral feeding pumps have been created to improve the quality of life for clients and veterans requiring nutrition therapy. Increasing the portability of nutrition allows those using it to be more mobile and increases their ability to participate in scheduled activities. This can increase clients’ compliance with activity programs and improve self-esteem as the increased portability allows them to better integrate into society without being consumed by the focus of how, where, and when to get their enteral feeding.
While many feeding pumps offer some degree of portability, these pumps can often be bulky and are difficult to use in a public setting. Many enteral feeding pumps do not provide long battery lives, inhibiting the ability to use these pumps while performing one’s everyday activities of daily living.
There is only one 100% portable enteral feeding pump option that is currently commercially available for patients. The Infinity Feeding Pump is approximately the size of a postcard and is lightweight, weighing less than 1 pound. It can also run continuously for approximately 24 hours without having to be recharged.
This programmable pump can support the needs of both continuous and bolus feeding infusions with easy-to-use program settings. Other benefits of the Infinity Feeding Pump program include the ability for the pump to work in any orientation and its water resistance. Clinicians all over the world have supported the use of portable enteral feeding pumps, like the Infinity Feeding Pump, to provide better compliance with nutrition programs while increasing their client’s satisfaction with how their nutrition needs are met.
SUMMARY
Medical technology and research have greatly improved veterans’ access to portable, necessary medical equipment. Using an enteral feeding system like the Infinity Feeding Pump or other portable devices enhances the quality of life of veterans requiring supplemental nutrition. To learn more about our enteral feeding pump program, please visit our pump product page.
