Explain

Feeding Tubes

Tubies...

...Is the name lovingly given to people who depend on feeding tubes for survival.


These tubes enter the body through a variety of ways, in various places, either putting

in nutritional fluids, or draining digestives fluids out of the body.

Types of feeding tubes

Nasogastric (NG) Tubes

These go up the nose, down the throat and into the stomach.  They’re often temporary and are the type commonly used in young babies who need nutritional support.

Nasoduodenal (ND) Tubes

These go through the nose and down the throat. They extend past the stomach into the

small intestine  - the duodenum.

Placed in hospital, they generally

last  for one-six months.

Nasojejunal (NJ) Tubes

These go in to the small intestine, delivering nutrition to the jejunum. The fluid must be administered very slowly.

Gastric or Gastrostomy (G) Tubes

These go through the skin directly into the stomach and are used for needs lasting longer than three months.

Gastrojejunal (GJ) or Transjejunal Tubes

GJ-tubes go directly through the skin into the stomach.  They have two ports.  One into the stomach, one into the small intestine (for those who cannot have anything in their stomach).

Jejunal (J) Tubes

J-tubes go through the skin straight into

the small intestine.

Partial Parenteral Nutrition 

PPN doesn’t cover daily nutrition.  It's given via IV (a needle in  a vein) and is generally used in people who can still take thing orally. In GP patients, it’s sometimes used during a flare to get fluids in, but is not a common ongoing treatment for various reasons. 

Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)

TPN delivers nutrition to heart via the blood stream, through a permanent ports placed in the chest.  A Central Line, they are placed under the skin with one going into a large blood vessel above the heart, the other coming to the surface of the skin at the port site where it is capped and the line often clipped closed. 


The liquid feed put through these lines is manufactured in a completely sterile environment, with vitamins and minerals closely monitored. Patients and their carers have to be specifically trained in handling the equipment and administering the liquid feed before the hospital discharges patients. This is high risk, and the possible side effects and dangers are many:

  • Around a staggering 50% of people with TPN will develop Sepsis (Blood Poisoning/Infection). Many will fight this repeatedly.
  • A loss of gastrointestinal structure and function (the digestive system is not used and certain enzymes and chemicals are no longer produced by the body).
  • Liver Dysfunction occurs in around 90% of TPN patients.
  • Hyperglycemia (too much blood sugar) and Hypoglycemia (too little).
  • Volume overload leading to fast weight gain.
  • Gallbladder complications. 
  • Metabolic bone disease, or bone demineralisation (Osteoporosis or Osteomalacia – something that people with EDS/HSD can ill afford, given that these condition are associated with a lower bone density from birth).