Kind of a stupid question, I guess, but what I mean by that is, okay, with the Schiavo case, everyone is talking about her being deprived of “food and water!” for so many days.
Now, I saw an interview with a doctor on televison, who said that what she is given isn’t food as we think of it-it’s a liquid mixture of chemicals and nutrients (sodium, sugars, etc), that is delivered straight into her abdomen, via the tube.
To clear things up-is this something they mix out of actual food, or is it a straight up solution mixture that would be completely unedible to most of us who are capable of eating the normal way? What would it taste like? Would it make us sick?
(I just want to be able to counter the arguments that Terri wasn’t being given “food”, and how horrible that is, and how it’s not an extraordinary measure, etc).
My grandpa had a feeding tube for many years. When something in his esophagus stopped working (the flap that closed when you swallow, didn’t), he was given a G-tube and used Ensure for nurishment. Also water. He still TRIED to eat, just to remember what the flavor of his favorite foods were like, sometimes, but he still couldn’t swallow anything without choking. He took care of all feeding and flushing of the tube himself until a few days before he passed.
He was always very active, even when he had the G-tube. It sure didn’t hold him back from doing gardening, running to the store, visiting, etc.
Tube feeding solution doesn’t necessarily have flavoring in it. Captain Amazing is correct to a point. Ensure is actually a diet supplement. Its made to drink, so it has flavoring.
In most hospitals, and nursing homes, its easy and less expensive use a premade product like Ensure. But a few places still mix up unflavored feeding solution.
To answer your real question. Yes, of course, its food. Standard tube feeding for someone without allergies or sensitivities, is milk based. Some are meat based, many are soy based. Its very similar to baby formula.
There are a few very limited feedings that are for patients with very specific diseases, that are made in the pharmacy from “less like food” ingredients.
Nutritional support for people who’s digestive system is broken, must be via IV. That solution has Amino acids, vitamins, trace minerals and a lot of glucose (sugar), as well as a special fat solution that is safe to give into the veins. These solutions are much less food like.