Contents:
- Medical Video: Stroke Treatment With 5 Natural Food
- When is the use of food hoses really useful?
- Does the food hose help stroke patients?
Medical Video: Stroke Treatment With 5 Natural Food
A food hose is a device used to deliver nutrients directly into the stomach of a person who cannot swallow his own food.
Some common reasons why someone needs a food hose are:
- swallowing mechanism is not effective
- in a coma or vegetative state
- cancer of the head and neck so it cannot swallow
- chronic appetite loss due to severe illness or injury
There are three main types of food hoses, namely:
Nasogastric: Also known as the NG hose, this food hose is less invasive than the G or J hose (see below) and is only used temporarily. The nasogastric tube is thin and can easily be lowered from the nose, through the esophagus and into the stomach, and can be pulled out easily. Because it is thin, the hose is often clogged so that it requires new inserts. However, the use of this hose has also been associated with sinusitis and other infections. Apart from that, this hose is the easiest and most reliable way to feed patients who have difficulty swallowing in a hospital.
Gastric tubes: Also known as a G hose or PEG hose, a gastric tube is a permanent (but reversible) type of food hose. Placement of the G hose requires a small operation where the G hose is inserted from the skin of the abdomen directly into the abdomen. This hose is placed in the stomach with a circular wire, commonly called "pigtail," or with a small blimp. This operation is safe but a small percentage can cause complications, such as bleeding and infection.
Jejunostomy tubes: Also known as a J hose or PEJ hose, a jejunostomy tube is similar to a G hose but the tip is located in the small intestine, so that it passes through the stomach. This is especially true for people whose stomach has an impaired ability to move food into the intestine due to poor motility. It is also often used in sufferers of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), and in those who are obese.
When is the use of food hoses really useful?
Food hoses are very helpful for people who cannot afford to eat themselves as a result of acute illness or surgery, but still have a chance to recover. Food hoses also help patients who are unable to swallow temporarily or permanently, but have normal or near normal functions. In such cases, food hoses can function as the only way to provide needed nutrients or medicines.
Does the food hose help stroke patients?
Food hoses can help stroke sufferers. Research has shown that up to 50% of all stroke patients who are hospitalized significantly experience malnutrition. More importantly, complementary studies show that preventing malnutrition by feeding patients through food lines in the early phase of acute stroke improves their recovery compared to patients who do not use food hoses. The type of hose that is often used in the first 30 days of stroke is the NG interval.
In some cases, the use of food hoses can be very controversial. Among these are the following:
- Install permanent food hoses in people who are comatose due to progressive disease and fatal (such as metastatic cancer) that will soon end his life
- Put a permanent food hose on a person who is unable to express his desire because of an illness, but who previously said that he did not want to be fed through a food hose
- Install permanent food hoses in coma patients who have severe brain damage and have no chance to recover, but can survive only with artificial food
- Attach a food hose to the person who has signed or determined that he will never want to be fed through a food hose.
Unfortunately, a thorough discussion between doctors and families about this problem does not occur as it should. Many doctors rush to install food hoses, and many families rush to agree without having a full understanding of the benefits and consequences of placing permanent food hoses.
