The most dreaded complication of tube feedings is tracheobronchial aspiration of gastric contents. Strong evidence indicates that most critically ill, tube-fed patients receiving mechanical ventilation aspirate at least once during their early days of tube feeding. Those who aspirate frequently are about 4 times more likely to have pneumonia develop than are those who aspirate infrequently. Although the patient’s illness might not be modifiable, some risk factors for aspiration can be controlled; among these are malpositioned feeding tubes, improper feeding site, high gastric volume, and supine position of the patient. A review of current research-based information to support modification of these risk factors is provided in this article.

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