Monitoring of adults requiring enteral nutrition

Adults requiring total or supplementary enteral nutrition must be monitored closely for complications (eg refeeding syndrome, electrolyte abnormalities). Monitoring should also include weight and other anthropometry, biochemistry, gastrointestinal symptoms, appetite and the ability to consume oral nutrition, management of underlying illness, and activity levels.

Enteral nutrition can be stopped when the patient’s weight has stabilised and they have adequate oral intake from normal food or oral nutritional supplementsNational Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2006.