Aspiration in Tube Feeding Method of Intermittent Drip Bag in the Intensive Care Unit and Trauma Patients

Aspiration-induced pneumonia is responsible for 15-20% of hospital infections and a 39% increase in   costs. Besides, it is one of the ten leading causes of death in   the USA. It can be prevented by choosing the feeding method. This study aimed to assess the incidence of respiratory aspiration using the tube feeding method of intermittent drip bag. This one group only post-test study was conducted on 36 ICU   trauma patients. The patients were fed using the tube feeding method of intermittent drip bag for three days, each time with 150 to 300 cc liquid nourishing solution for 30 to 60 minutes with three-hour intervals. To detect respiratory aspiration, 0.5 cc of methylene blue 1% was added to 500 cc of the liquid. In case the patients needed suction, whenever the blue color of methylene blue was observed in the lung secretions during suction of the respiratory tube, incidence of respiratory aspiration was ascertained. The data were collected using Demographic information registration form and Clinical Information Registration Questionnaire. Then, the data were analyzed using SPSS V19 and descriptive and analytic statistics. The results revealed no incidence of respiratory aspiration via the tube feeding method of intermittent drip bag during   three consecutive days. The present study indicated no respiratory aspiration   observed using the tube feeding method of intermittent drip bag, this method can be utilized in the centers that are not equipped with feeding pump. Moreover, using feeding bags instead of feeding pumps plays a key role in reducing related costs.