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Overview of tube feeding

Mō te whāngai ki te ngongo

Tube feeding is a way of providing nutrition to your body. It is also called enteral nutrition. You might need to tube feed if you have a condition or illness that means you cannot eat, or you cannot eat enough.

When you tube feed, a special liquid formula (also called feed) goes through a feeding tube into your stomach or small intestine. The formula provides all the nutrients you need to stay healthy.

The feeding tube

Illustration showing nasogastric and nasojejunal feeding tubes going through the nose into the stomach and jejunum respectively and a gastrostomy tube going through the stomach wall Tubes can go to different places along your digestive tract.

A nasogastric tube (NG tube) goes up your nose and down into your stomach.
A nasojejunal tube (NJ tube) goes up your nose, down through your stomach, and into your jejunum. The jejunum is part of the small intestine.
A gastrostomy tube (G-tube) goes directly into your stomach through a hole in your abdominal wall called a stoma. There are two types of gastrostomy tube. PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) is one. RIG (radiologically Inserted gastrostomy) is the other. These terms describe how the tube is fitted.

Your doctor will decide which type of feeding tube is best for you.

The feed

There are different types of feed. Your dietitian will select one that best meets your nutrition needs. They will also decide how much you need to have each day. Your dietitian will prescribe the feed and arrange to have it delivered to you. The feed is fully subsidised, but you may have to pay a prescription fee. There is no charge for delivery.

Feeding

Either a feeding pump or a syringe can be used for tube feeding. Feeding using a syringe is also called bolus feeding. Your dietitian and nurse will give you all the equipment you need. They will also teach you how to tube feed and look after your feeding tube.

The following pages have more details about the types of feeding:

You can learn more about using a pump for tube feeding by watching these pump feeding videos.

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed September 2024.

Sources

The information in this section comes from the following sources, some of which may be clinically complex or not available to the general public

Bowers, S. (2000). All about tubes. Your guide to enteral feeding devices. Nursing 2000. 30, 12: 4147.

O’Brien, B., Sarah, D. & Erwin-Toth, P. (1999). Gastrostomy tube site care: A practical guide. R. N. 62, 5.

Rollins, H. (2000). Hypergranulation tissue at gastrostomy sites. Journal of Wound Care. 9, 3.

Frang, J., Lynch, C. (2004). Prevention and Management of Complications of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) Tubes. Practical Gastroenterology, 66-75.

Selan, M. (2012) A multidisciplinary approach to gastrostomy management. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 66, 1374. Doi: 10.1038/ejcn, 2012,144.

Kurien, M., McAlindon, M., Westaby, D., Sanders, D., (2010). Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding. BMJ 2010; 340:c2414. Doi:10.1136/bmj.c2414.

Lippincott Procedures. Enteral tube feeding, duodenal and jejunal (http://procedures.lww.com/lnp/view.do?pId=729755&hits=tube,feeding,tubes,feedings,feed&a=false&ad=false). Nov 2017. Retrieved February 2018.

Lippincott Procedures. Nasogastric tube irrigation (http://procedures.lww.com/lnp/view.do?pId=729411&hits=tube,tubes,feedings,feeding&a=false&ad=false). Nov 2017. Retrieved February 2018.

Loser, C., Aschl, G., Hebuterne, X., Mathus-Vliegen, E., Muscaritoli, M., Niv, Y., Rollins, H., Skelly, R., (2005). ESPEN guidelines on artificial enteral nutrition – Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). Clinical Nutrition 24, 848-861. Doi:10.1016/j.cinu.2005.06.013.

NICE Guidelines. Nutrition support for adults: oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition. August 2017. Retrieved February 2018.

Image and embedded video sources

Illustration of various types of feeding tube provided by Medical Illustrations, Te Whatu Ora Waitaha. March 2018.

Images of adults with a PEG feeding tube and a RIG feeding tube from Medical Illustrations, Te Whatu Ora Waitaha. March 2018.

Images of children with a PEG feeding tube and a MIC-KEY button with extension set from Medical Illustrations, Te Whatu Ora Waitaha. September 2023.

Page reference: 482888

Review key: HITUB-482880