Indications and contraindications for enteral feeding
| Indications | Relative contraindications |
|---|---|
| Medical | Intestinal obstruction |
| Inflammatory bowel disease | Ileus |
| Hepatic failure | High output small bowel fistula |
| Renal failure | High doses positive inotropic agents |
| Respiratory failure | |
| Neurological | Enteral feeding can be given in the presence of gut obstruction or when there is a high output small bowel enterocutaneous fistula |
| Cerebrovascular accident | |
| Motor neurone disease | |
| Acquired brain injury | |
| Brain tumour | |
| Parkinson's disease | |
| Surgical | |
| Preoperative | |
| Postoperative | |
| Fistula | |
| Burns | |
| Sepsis | |
| Head and neck cancer | |
| Gastrointestinal tract cancer | |
| Gastrointestinal tract surgery | |
| Pancreatitis | |
| Orthopaedic | |
| Trauma | |
| Psychiatric | |
| Anorexia nervosa | |
| Paediatric | |
| Cystic fibrosis | |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Intensive care patients | |
| Short bowel | |
| Cachexia | |
| Transition from parenteral nutrition |