Starting EN More than 3 Days After ICU Admission – Tuesday Tube Facts

Starting enteral nutrition more than 3 days after ICU admission was associated with increased length of stay.

Critically ill patients should be started on enteral tube feeds within 48 hours of intubation whenever possible.

1. Bourgault, A.M., Ipe, L., Weaver, J., Swartz, S., O’Dea, P.J. Development of Evidence-Based Guidelines and Critical Care Nurses ’ Knowledge of Enteral Feeding. Critical Care Nurse, 2007; 27(4):17-29.

2. Fremont, R. D., Rice, T.W. How soon should we start interventional feeding in the ICU? Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2014 March; 30(2): 178–181.