Friday, February 10, 2012

Feeding Tubes: What do Doctors Need to Know

Today's topic: What do you want clinicians to know about the day-to-day life with a feeding tube? Two things: 1. Surgeons who put feeding tubes in believe that the only problem with them is leakage. Of course, that's the only problem you'd see your surgeon about, because they're the guys who measure to figure out what size button you need, and if it's not leaking, you don't need a new one. The other problems are all manged by other disciplines. 2. Doctors don't often get the amount of work that is required with tube feedings and attempts at oral feeds. They don't get the effort that is required to eventually transition most kids from tube feedings to oral feedings. They don't get the time required to get from continuous to bolus. They don't believe when parents tell them it's not going the way they were told it would go. They don't have a problem with prescribing continuous feeds, because they don't ever do the work of keeping the pump running.

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