DEVELOPMENT OF A DATABASE WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DRUG ADMINISTRATION THROUGH ENTERAL FEEDING TUBES
Mariana Martins Gonzaga do Nascimento; Andréia Queiróz Ribeiro

Objective: to describe the compilation of a database containing technical characteristics of oral dosage forms to support pharmaceutical actions towards the improvement of drug administration through enteral feeding tubes quality.

Methods: on the present study, a table was developed with every oral medication used on a large general hospital of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It contained the drug dosage and dosage form, alternative dosage form, and recommendations for its administration through enteral feeding tube. To construct the table, a non systematic review about drug administration through feeding tubes was carried out. Consultations to drug manufacturers and ANVISA website was also performed in order to gather information to feed the database.

Results: a database with 130 oral drugs used in the institution was gathered and organized in a table. In the recommendations and relevant information column, the most adequate drug preparation and administration technique was presented, accompanied by potential drug-enteral nutrition interactions, osmolarity and sorbitol concentration, and other recommendations. Eight drugs (6,11%) were identified as non-crushable, and 33 (25,38%) presented a potential drug-enteral nutrition interaction described on literature.

Conclusion: The database developed is extremely important, once there are very few studies and bibliographic database in this area. Aside that, this tool is fundamental to improve the quality of pharmacotherapeutical care, however, it presents limited value if used without critical judgment of the clinical and therapeutic history of each patient.

Descriptors: enteral nutrition, drug, feeding tube, nasogastric, nasoenteric, hospital pharmacy.