A patient with severe weight loss as a result of anorexia nervosa has refused meal trays and supplemental feedings for 3 days since being admitted to the hospital and so refeeding has been ordered.Which intervention will initiate this treatment?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The priority is to begin refeeding,a procedure that involves tube feedings that are continued until the patient is voluntarily eating sufficient quantities.Refeeding takes place using foods and fluids via the GI tract,rather than by the parenteral route.Although refeeding is very threatening to the patient,since they have no control over the weight gain that will occur,suicide precautions are not indicated at this point,but careful assessments will continue.A nutritional consult is not useful at this point in the treatment since the patient is not making choices regarding eating.

A Patient with Severe Weight Loss as a Result of Anorexia