Study of the Microbial Sanitary Conditions and their Affecting Factors of the Nasal-Feeding Tubes in Long-Term Care Facilities

• Main Authors: Yun-Ping Shao, 邵蘊萍
• Other Authors: Philip Cheng Ming Chang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/48590486592262879107

碩士 === 國立臺灣海洋大學 === 食品科學系 === 93 === Patients with nasal feeding had complications often, like nausea, abdominal bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, aspiration pneumonia. Sanitation of nasal-feeding tube was important. The purpose of this study is to investigate the sanitary status, in terms of total bacterial count, of nasal-feeding tubes. Since National Health Insurance covers the cost of the feeding tube for long-term care facilities on a fixed frequency of every two weeks/tube, it is interested to know if the frequency is justified by the sanitary condition of the tube during this period. Three types of nasal-feeding tubes (PU tube: 4, PVC tube: 25, silicone tube: 30) with a total of 59 tubes were collected from either nursing home or elderly care center in Taipei city. The demographic data, health history, nutrition status, and feeding formula were also gathered in order to establish the possible relationships between these factors. Results indicate that the total aerobic counts of the feeding tube was significantly influenced by the patients’ serum albumin< 3 g/dl, BMI< 17.6, age≧80, and patients with hypertension. Material made of the feeding tube showed no significant influence on the bacterial counts between PVC and silicone nasal-feeding tubes. However, the hardening progress of the PVC tubes during feeding period was noticed as may induced by long term exposure to gastric acid and the clogging of the silicone tube was another problem for feeding with viscous formula.