[Dysphagia] reflux and feeding tubes

[Heidi.Bassani at amedd.army.mil (Bassani, Heidi D Ms WRAMC-Wash DC)]

Whether or not a patient is fed enterally is not our decision, it is
that of the family as long as they are informed about the risks,
benefits and outcome in the end. Period.

Also, this is a GI issue, not an issue that should be addressed by an
SLP.  It's likely that this person may not take a PO diet as many
Alzheimer's pt's hold food in their mouth and never trigger a swallow.
Why is she on a feeding tube anyway?  Leave the reflux issue to GI. 

Heidi 

-----Original Message-----
From: Drirenect@aol.com [mailto:Drirenect@aol.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2006 12:07 PM
To: nando11504@hotmail.com; pressmah@sjhmc.org; LLORTEAU@sbgh.mb.ca;
dysphagia@b9.com
Subject: Re: [Dysphagia] reflux and feeding tubes

 
In a message dated 2/7/2006 12:49:57 PM Atlantic Standard Time,
nando11504@hotmail.com writes:
 
 
can someone help me  please?  i have a Rt in a LTC facility who was sent
to 
the ER for  dehydration.  she returned to my facility NPO with a feeding

tube.  she is end stage ALzheimers. 
*** No-one in end  stage Alzheimer should ever be fed by enteral means.

if this Dx of  pneumonia is from refulx of the feeding tube, 
what would prevent this from  happening if she was on an oral diet? ***

Enteral feeding promotes or exacerbates reflux so it might disappear or
at  least, 
not be as pronounced. But - this lady is palliative. One does not worry

about such things as aspiration etc at this point. Her comfort comes
first and  
this will not be aided by enteral feeding.

can  someone help me please?  i have a Rt in a LTC facility who was sent
to  
the ER for dehydration.  she returned to my facility NPO with a  feeding

tube.  she is end stage ALzheimers.  since she has been  back, she has 
developed LLL infiltrate which may or may not have been from  reflux of
the 
tube feeds.  if this Dx of pneumonia is from refulx of  the feeding
tube, 
what would prevent this from happening if she was on an  oral diet?
>From 
what i have seen her positioning is rather good  while the tube is
running 
and she remains in good position after the tube  has stopped.