Defining and Assessing Tolerance in Enteral Nutrition

• Published in: Nutrition in clinical practice Vol. 19; no. 5; pp. 481 - 486
• Main Authors: Bernard, Andrew C., Magnuson, Barbara, Tsuei, Betty J., Swintosky, Marjorie, Barnes, Stephen, Kearney, Paul A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States SAGE Publications 01-10-2004
• ISSN: 0884-5336; 1941-2452
• DOI: 10.1177/0115426504019005481

Nutrition support has become widely recognized as an essential component of
optimal care for acutely ill patients. Enteral nutrition is preferred over
parenteral routes when possible. However, prescribed enteral nutritional
regimens are sometimes met with side effects and even complications. These
adverse events have been collectively termed “intolerance,” and
forms of intolerance occur in a spectrum from bothersome at least to life
threatening when most severe. Here we discuss nutritional access and its
maintenance, introduce and define intolerance, and then review the current
literature with regard to principal forms of enteral nutrition
intolerance.