Guest guest Posted August 7, 2003 Report Share Posted August 7, 2003 How is tube feeding different from intravenous (IV) or parenteral feeding? Intravenous nutrition provides a patient's total nutritional needs directly into the blood stream by way of an IV catheter put into a large vein. This type of therapy is usually used for a shorter period of time than tube feedings. It bypasses the person's digestive system, but is generally more expensive. For long-term therapy, enteral tube feeding uses the person's own digestive system to absorb the nutrients in a more normal manner. This is always preferable to IV therapy, and therefore, is used whenever possible. Each type of therapy is used in different situations, but physicians prefer to use a patient's own gastrointestinal tract for feedings if at all possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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