A technique for optimization of enteral feeding regimens: implementation on a microcomputer.

Many clinical factors must be taken into account in choosing an appropriate enteral feeding regimen for a particular patient. In a patient with multiple medical problems, this decision process may become overwhelmingly complex. This paper discusses a mathematical adjunct to aid in this problem. Using patient-specific weights for various clinical factors, an algorithmic determination is made of the degree of correspondence between the characteristics of available preparations and those weights. A microcomputer implementation rendering this method usable to the medical health care professional has been created, and is described.