(62o) Pediatric Feeding Tube Occlusions

Many pediatric medical conditions require an enteral feeding tube to provide necessary nutrients when oral feeding is not possible. Although nutritional support is a necessity, tube occlusions can occur frequently, and the replacement of tubing is discomforting to patients. As a result, research and studies are being done to determine the factors that cause feeding tube occlusion. Previously, tube occlusions were studied at a flow rate of 30 ml per hour and a pH of 1.2. The enteral formulas tested were PediaSure® and Nutren Junior® with Fiber, which were delivered by gravity flow feed bags and a simulation of a pulse flow pump. Results showed that PediaSure® coagulated 3 hours after being added to simulated gastric juice, where as Nutren Junior® with Fiber did not. The current work focuses on the investigation of multiple parameters including flow rate, tube material and size, pH and formula type to observe their affects on tube occlusions. Experiments are being conducted using a peristaltic pump with a pressure sensor that indicates the presence of downstream occlusions. The formula is pumped through a feeding tube into simulated gastric juice with an initial pH of 2.5 which represents fasting conditions. Tube diameters from 5-9 French and flow rates of 0.1 ? 30 ml/h are being investigated. Elemental, milk-based, and soy-based formulas will be investigated.