What complication can occur with small bowel feeding?

When considering complications associated with small bowel feeding, tube dislodgement is a significant concern. This complication can occur due to various factors, including patient movement, improper initial placement, or inadequate securing of the tube. Dislodgment of the feeding tube can lead to interruptions in nutrition delivery and can necessitate re-insertion, which adds to the risk of additional complications such as infection or injury to the gastrointestinal tract.

In contrast, ongoing weight gain is generally the goal of feeding interventions, not a complication. Improved gastric motility is typically not a direct outcome of small bowel feeding; in fact, small bowel feeding is often used when gastric motility is a concern. Additionally, while small bowel feeding can have advantages in reducing the risk of aspiration compared to gastric feeding in some patients, the method itself does not eliminate the risk completely. Thus, tube dislodgement stands out as a direct complication associated with this feeding method.