Enteral tube feeding is the delivery of nutritionally complete feed via a tube into the gut. It is used for patients who are unable to meet their nutritional needs orally. Enteral feeding can be given through a variety of different tubes that access the gastrointestinal tract either via the stomach or the small bowel. The contamination of enteral feed can often be overlooked as a source of bacterial infection. Enteral feeds can become contaminated in a variety of different ways. Most often infections result in extended lengths of stay in hospital and patients also need additional therapies and treatments in order to resolve these infections. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details