Abstract
ENT patients may have difficulty with oral intake and require enteral nutrition. Those with long-term inability of oral intake and low nutritional status are at risk of nutritional complications such as refeeding syndrome. It is necessary to take measures in consideration of such complications when starting enteral nutrition. We introduced an enteral nutrition protocol tailored to the condition of each patient in general wards, and conducted a questionnaire survey of physicians and nurses. Introduction of the protocol led to nutritional therapies that more adequately fulfilled the needs of undernourished patients and decelerated the rate of nutrient administration when intolerance symptoms appeared.
