[Dysphagia] reflux and feeding tubes

[Drirenect at aol.com (Drirenect@aol.com)]

In a message dated 2/7/2006 12:49:57 PM Atlantic Standard Time,  
nando11504@hotmail.com writes:
 
 
can someone help me  please?  i have a Rt in a LTC facility who was sent to 
the ER for  dehydration.  she returned to my facility NPO with a feeding  
tube.  she is end stage ALzheimers. 
*** No-one in end  stage Alzheimer should ever be fed by enteral means.  
if this Dx of  pneumonia is from refulx of the feeding tube, 
what would prevent this from  happening if she was on an oral diet? ***  
Enteral feeding promotes or exacerbates reflux so it might disappear or at  least, 
not be as pronounced. But ? this lady is palliative. One does not worry  
about such things as aspiration etc at this point. Her comfort comes first and  
this will not be aided by enteral feeding.

can  someone help me please?  i have a Rt in a LTC facility who was sent to  
the ER for dehydration.  she returned to my facility NPO with a  feeding 
tube.  she is end stage ALzheimers.  since she has been  back, she has 
developed LLL infiltrate which may or may not have been from  reflux of the 
tube feeds.  if this Dx of pneumonia is from refulx of  the feeding tube, 
what would prevent this from happening if she was on an  oral diet?  From 
what i have seen her positioning is rather good  while the tube is running 
and she remains in good position after the tube  has stopped.