Nutrition support therapy provides nutrients when a person cannot meet their nutrition needs by mouth. The two main types are enteral nutrition (tube feeding) and parenteral nutrition (intravenous nutrition).
The following were developed by clinicians to provide more information about these therapies and the professionals who provide nutrition support. ASPEN is unable to provide referrals to healthcare providers or answer patient-specific questions.
What is Nutrition Support Therapy?
When nutrition needs cannot be met by mouth, nutrients must be supplied by a different route—this is called nutrition support therapy. There are two main nutrition support therapies: enteral (via a feeding tube) and parenteral (via an intravenous catheter).
Read more about Nutrition Support Therapy.
What is a Nutrition Support Professional?
Nutrition support professionals (NSPs) are clinicians who specialize in managing enteral and parenteral nutrition in diverse patient populations. They can be dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, advanced practice providers, or other healthcare providers, and below is a description of the unique contribution of each discipline. Read more about nutritional support professionals.
What is Enteral Nutrition?
Enteral nutrition (EN), also called “tube feeding,” is a way of providing nutrition directly into the gastrointestinal (GI) tract through an enteral access device (feeding tube) that is placed with its tip in the stomach or small intestine. Enteral nutrition is a special liquid food mixture containing all the nutrients required to meet nutrition needs, such as protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Read more about enteral nutrition.
What is Parenteral Nutrition?
Parenteral nutrition (Parenteral [pah REN ter ul] Nutrition) (PN) is a way patients receive nutrition when they cannot use the gastrointestinal (GI) tract or nutrition needs cannot be met through the GI tract alone. PN is a unique sterile intravenous (IV) solution that is given directly into the bloodstream via a catheter that is inserted into a vein. Read more about parenteral nutrition.