Tube feeding is a recognized means, for dietary management of a disease, successfully surpassing the limits of patients with impaired feeding. Nevertheless, there is no local data about utilization of industrialized or domestic formulae by the Hospital Nutrition Services. In order to evaluate the utilization of both industrialized and the domestic formulae, as well as the health professional involved with diet prescription, all hospitals located in the city of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil were interviewed. Results show that enteral nutrition is a routine for most institutions, and there is no significant deference between the use of industrialized or domestic formulae. In Campinas, the physician is responsible for the diet prescription, despite of the presence of a dietitian in the staff.
enteral nutrition; enteral feeding; food formulated; dietary services; food service hospital
