Question

Home-prepared or blenderized enteral nutrition (EN) formulations should be discarded after

1: 6 hours.
2: 12 hours.
3: 24 hours.
4: 48 hours.

Answer 1

Home-prepared or blenderized enteral nutrition (EN) formulations should be discarded after 6 hours to ensure freshness and safety.

Step-by-step explanation:

Home-prepared or blenderized enteral nutrition (EN) formulations should be discarded after 6 hours.

When it comes to digestion, the stomach empties its contents into the duodenum within 2 to 4 hours after a meal. The small intestine then takes 6 hours on average to process the food. Therefore, if a home-prepared or blenderized enteral nutrition formulation is not used within this time frame, it should be discarded to ensure freshness and safety.

For example, the average length of the small intestine is 2.5 meters, and the retention time of food in the small intestine is around 4 hours. Considering the entire length of the intestine, the food can stay in the digestive system between 24 to 72 hours for full digestion to occur.