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Closed versus Open Enteral Delivery Systems: A Quality Improvement Study

Department of Surgery, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown, Ohio

The purpose of this study was to review the compliance rate with maximum enteral feeding hang-time policy and to determine the incidence of tube feeding (TF) contamination. This study found the compliance rate for the maximum TF bag hang-time was 67% for open delivery system (OS) and 88% for the closed delivery system (CS). The 10 CS bags cultured had hang-times from 20.8 to 45.8 hours and were all sterile. The 8 OS bags cultured had hang-times from 6.8 to 26.6 hours with 2 bags being contaminated. The maximum hang-time for the CS was increased from 24 to 48 hours. The study was repeated with 100% compliance for the CS and still only 50% compliance for the OS. The 14 CS bags cultured had hang-times from 22.0 to 47.3 hours and were all sterile except for 1 bag that had methylene blue dye added to it. The 9 OS bags cultured had hang-times from 7.5 to 13.3 hours, and all were sterile. The findings of this study led us to conclude that closed enteral delivery systems should be used whenever possible.

Nutrition in Clinical Practice, Vol. 15, No. 5, 234-243 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/088453360001500506


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