Hydration in Adults on Enteral Feeding

We found this article by Ailsa Brotherton and Anne Holloway when we were looking into Hydration and Enteral feeding and found it fascinating and easy to get into and felt it would be one worth sharing further.

This article highlights a neglected yet vital aspect of patient care: hydration in adults reliant on enteral tube feeding. Despite national initiatives addressing malnutrition, hydration has received insufficient attention, particularly among enterally fed patients. A 2012 survey of over 400 UK healthcare professionals revealed that only 31% of Trusts had general hydration guidelines, and just 20% had protocols for enteral feeding patients. 

Most practitioners relied on manual flushes for fluid delivery, with limited use of pumps or enteral routes for hydration—preferring intravenous methods instead. Key challenges included limited nursing time and logistical complexities around feeding regimens. The findings underscore a need for practical hydration strategies, improved interdisciplinary education, and potentially national consensus guidelines.

The authors advocate recognising hydration as integral to clinical care, particularly given its impact on avoidable harms such as pressure ulcers and infections. Adequate hydration, they argue, must not be eclipsed by the focus on nutrition alone.