Enteral tube feeding in a patient with traumatic brain injury.

Abstract

Tube feeding is frequently needed for patients with severe traumatic brain injury. When the patient is on the rehabilitation unit, bolus type feeding by gastrostomy tube is more easily accomplished than continuous type feeding by jejunostomy tube (J-tube). In the case presented here, the patient received less calories via J-tube feeds while he was on the rehabilitation unit than when he was in the intensive care unit or the neurosurgical unit. This has implications for the trauma team, which initially decides the type of nutritional support.