Risk factors for enteral nutrition feeding intolerance in stroke patients: A scoping review.

Background: Feeding intolerance is a common issue in stroke patients who are receiving enteral nutrition, and it has a substantial effect on their recovery and rehabilitation. Understanding the various factors of feeding intolerance in this patient population is vital for improving care and outcomes.

Aim: This review aims to map the existing literature on enteral nutrition in stroke patients, identifying key themes, gaps and areas for future research.

Study design: This review was conducted as a scoping review following the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist to ensure comprehensive coverage and methodological rigour. We conducted a scoping review by searching databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, CNKI and WangFang from 1 January 2000 to 31 January 2024. We aimed to locate research about issues with enteral nutrition feeding in stroke patients. We collected data on the patient's characteristics, medical status, therapies, feeding protocols and nursing care. A total of 25 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review.

Results: Twenty-two influencing factors were identified and categorized into patient factors (5), disease factors (8), treatment factors (2), feeding management factors (5) and nursing factors (2). Notably, age, intra-abdominal pressure, serum albumin levels, APACHE-II scores and central venous pressure (CVP) were among the most commonly reported.

Conclusions: This scoping introduction uniquely focuses on stroke patients receiving enteral nutrition, explaining specific influencing factors for feeding intolerance.

Relevance to clinical practice: Health care professionals must identify and manage risk factors for enteral nutrition feeding intolerance. Ongoing professional development and specialized training on the significance of enteral feeding in stroke rehabilitation can improve patient care and outcomes.