Enteral Nutrition Formulas: Which Formula Is Right for Your Adult Patient?

In the last few decades, there has been tremendous advancement in the area of enteral nutrition formulas. Enteral nutrition makes it possible to provide important substrates for those who cannot or will not meet daily requirements via oral intake but who have an intact digestive system. Numerous enteral nutrition formulas are currently available, with a large portion of them targeting specific disease conditions, thus making it a daunting task at times for a clinician to sort through all the possibilities and decide on the most appropriate formula. This review provides a close examination of various enteral formula categories and presents proposed mechanisms of specialized ingredients, followed by a thorough evidence-based analysis of existing literature before making recommendations for the various enteral formula categories. (Nutr Clin Pract. 2009:24344-355)