Abstract
Kalimate® is often administered to patients via a simple suspension method by feeding tube. However, this method has a low recovery ratio and tube obstruction can occur. In this study, we investigated whether adding dextrin to decrease the adhesiveness and dispersibility improves the low recovery ratio and reduce tube obstruction. The addition of 0.6% dextrin significantly increased the dispersibility and fluidity of kalimate® compared to the dispersibility and fluidity of kalimate in purified water, but the addition of 0.1% and 0.2% dextrin did not. On the other hand, the 0.1 - 0.6% dextrin improved the low recovery ratio of kalimate® in the simple suspension method by feeding tube. These results show that the addition of dextrin improves the low recovery ratio and prevents tube obstruction in the simple suspension method of kalimate®. In addition, it was suggested that the decrease in recovery ratio of kalimate® is related to the adhesiveness, and the increase of dispersibility suppressed the tube obstruction in the simple suspension method by feeding tube. These findings provide significant information that can be used in improving the low recovery ratio and tube obstruction in the simple suspension method by feeding tube.
