Complications associated with home enteral nutrition (HEN)
| Total (n=87) | Adults (n=50) | Children (n=37) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feeding tube replacement | 40 (46%) | 21 (42%) | 19 (51%) | 0.04* |
| Tube replacement in A&E department | 14/40 (35%) | 10 (48%) | 4 (24%) | 0.039* |
| Pump malfunction | 2 (2%) | 0 | 2 (5%) | 0.096 |
| Tube dislodgement | 21 (24%) | 12 (24%) | 9 (24%) | 0.9 |
| Broken feeding tube | 9 (10%) | 5 (10%) | 2 (11%) | 0.9 |
| Stoma site infection | 40 (46%) | 19 (38%) | 21 (57%) | 0.083 |
| Blocked feeding tube | 26 (30%) | 15 (30%) | 11 (30%) | 0.98 |
| Vomiting | 24 (27.5%) | 5 (10%) | 19 (51%) | <0.001* |
| Diarrhoea | 16 (18%) | 8 (16%) | 8 (22%) | 0.5 |
| Constipation | 23 (26%) | 11 (22%) | 12 (32.4%) | 0.27 |
| Weight loss | 10 (11.5%) | 7 (14%) | 3 (8%) | 0.39 |
Patients and their carers were asked to outline complications associated with HEN including side effects associated with feeding and technical difficulties including pump dysfunction and feeding tube issues. Data show total percentages and numbers, and are further subdivided into adult and paediatric patients. Data were analysed using Fishers exact test and χ2 tests to identify differences in the experience of adult and paediatric patients.
*Denotes statistical significance, determined by p<0.05.