ABSTRACT
Enteral nutrition (EN) has become an important adjunct to the medical care of patients in hospitals, in chronic-care facilities, and at home. The evolution of health care, with rising medical costs and the implementation of diagnostic-related groups (DRG), coupled with proposed health care reforms, creates an environment for cost containment that is greatly enhanced by the early discharging of patients. Enteral nutrition has been used and will be increasingly used to facilitate this process (1). Furthermore, the aggressive enteral feeding of critically ill patients appears to enhance this goal (2).
