What is the difference between enteral and parenteral nutrition

TPN requires a brief outpatient procedure. It involves a medical provider inserting a central catheter into the superior vena cava, a major vein that carries blood from the head and chest to the heart.

Peripheral parenteral nutrition PPN. If your loved one is recovering from an operation or another medical procedure and only has short-term nutritional needs, they receive PPN. PPN is administered through a traditional, external IV instead of an internal one. Enteral and parenteral nutrition are considered safe and usually well-tolerated. If your loved one only needs enteral nutrition for a short time, they might also experience gastrointestinal discomfort as they readjust to solid foods.

Both enteral feeding and parenteral feeding require significant lifestyle changes. They can correct any mistakes, provide key insights, and help you establish a feeding routine. After making the switch to enteral or parenteral nutrition, your loved one will experience enhanced energy and improved health.

At each subsequent check-up, their doctor will run tests and reevaluate their nutritional needs, making adjustments to the treatment plan as necessary. Medical providers typically recommend enteral feeding over parenteral feeding. Parenteral nutrition is administered through a traditional intravenous IV line or via a central IV surgically placed during an outpatient procedure.

Enteral and parenteral syringes look very similar, but the tip of the syringe differs. The enteral syringe has a longer, cone-like shape that narrows at the tip. A parenteral syringe is short and has a small, round tip that twists onto the end of the IV.

For people recovering from an illness or injury, it presents a safe and effective way to maintain energy and promote healing. Total parenteral nutrition TPN is prescribed to people with damaged or poorly functioning digestive systems. Before your loved one can receive TPN, a surgeon places a vascular access device, like a peripherally inserted central catheter PICC , into their superior vena cava.

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We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. That is when parenteral nutrition may be needed to help an individual remain hydrated and to provide calories and other nutrients to allow for maintenance of physical well-being and function. When a patient has difficulty eating for whatever reason and when the GI tract is working, then using this natural means for feeding would be preferable to feeding by intravenous means.

Using the GI tract is closer to normal and can help the immune system. An example might be a patient who has had a stroke and now has difficulty swallowing called dysphagia. The swallowing may normalize over time or in some instances may not return to normal. During the short term, a patient like this might be fed with a tube entering the nose into the stomach called nasogastric tube. For longer use, a tube entering the stomach from outside the abdomen a gastrostomy might be appropriate.

Tube feeding is nutrition provided through the GI tract via a tube, catheter, or a surgically made hole into the GI tract. As previously mentioned, it is the preferred method of feeding when patients are unable to eat enough calories on their own. Enteral access devices are feeding tubes placed directly into the GI tract to deliver nutrients as well as additional fluids and often is a method for delivering medications Figure 1.

Nasal or oral tubes may be placed at the bedside, with endoscopy, or surgically. A nasoenteric tube means that the tube enters the nose and the end of it may be in the stomach, duodenum first part of the small intestine or the jejunum second part of the small intestine.

Gastrostomy and jejunostomy tubes are inserted through the skin percutaneous through a small incision on the upper abdominal wall. This may be done by a Radiologist with X-ray guidance, by an Endoscopist via endoscopy, or surgically. The table below shows options for enteral access feeding Table 1. Short-term enteral nutrition is usually defined as use less than 4 weeks; long-term enteral nutrition is defined as use for more than 4 weeks.

For more specific information on percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, please see the ACG patient resource of the same name under GI Procedures. Nutrition delivered by enteral tubes can cause the following complications: food entering the lungs called aspiration , constipation, diarrhea, improper absorption of nutrients, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities, high blood sugar, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and decreased liver proteins.

Feeding tubes inserted through the nose, such as nasogastric or nasoenteric tubes, can cause irritation of the nose or throat, acute sinus infections, and ulceration of the larynx or esophagus. Parenteral Nutrition Basics Parenteral nutrition, also called total parenteral nutrition TPN or hyperalimentation, involves the intravenous delivery of a full complement of nutrients—glucose, amino acids, lipids, vitamins, and minerals.

This method is used when the GI tract fails to work properly. In the short term, it may be due to a condition such as peritonitis.

Long term, it can result from blockages caused by malignant tumors or massive intestinal resection due to cancer or other bowel diseases. The delivery of TPN occurs via a special intravenous catheter placed in a large vein in the chest or arm. The catheter can remain in place for as long as needed; however, it requires proper care to avoid infection and clotting.

Fatty liver has emerged as a common complication of hour feeding.