Practice perspectives of healthcare professionals regarding common dilemmas associated with enteral nutrition [Sağlık çalışanlarının enteral nütrisyon uygulamalarındaki çelişkileri]

Objective: no study has been conducted in turkey to assess the practical management of enteral nutrition (en),specifically diarrhea,aspiration,and gastric residue. the aim of this study was to identify practice perspectives regarding en and its associated complications and compare these trends between doctors and nurses. material and methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted at a university hospital in turkey in january 2017. a written survey that was designed by the researchers consisting of 12 questions was administered to doctors and nurses (face-to-face) in different services who routinely participate in en. results: in total,100 nurses and 94 doctors completed the survey. with respect to diarrhea,the doctors and nurses often used different definitions and strategies for relieving symptoms. gastric residual volume (grv) measurement is routinely performed 4 times a day. when managing high grv,participants were inclined to reduce feeding rates,but nurses were more likely to stop feeding and consult the nutrition support team compared to doctors,who were more likely to administer prokinetics. nurses were more likely to specify the commonly accepted grv thresholds. healthcare professionals preferred to start feeding 12 to 24 hours after gastrostomy placement. aspiration was attributed to incorrect positioning of the patient by almost all the nurses,while about one-half of the doctors indicated the lack of grv measurement as the leading cause. approximately one-half of participants stated that adequate fluid requirements could be delivered through en and water flushes. conclusion: doctors and nurses have different perspectives regarding the management of en-related complications. information obtained from this study can be used to develop interventions and tailor educational programs to improve en management in turkey. © 2017 by turkish society of medical and surgical intensive care medicine.