FK-KMK UGM. Tube feeding is a tool used to help patients who cannot eat by mouth. The use of tube feeding can raise several ethical issues.

Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities (CBMH) Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing UGM will discuss the use of tube feeding for patients in the Raboan Research and Perspective Sharing entitled “Tube Feeding in Dementia at the End of Life from an Islamic Perspective” on Wednesday (16/8) via zoom meeting and YouTube live broadcast.

Dr. Hadil Labadidi from Erlangen University shared the results of his research regarding the use of tube feeding in the elderly. Research Dr. Hadil entitled “End-of-Life Care, Dying, and Death in the Islamic Moral Edition”.

There are several symptoms of dementia that appear, including difficulty doing ordinary tasks, communication problems, misplacing things, forgetting habits that affect daily activities, difficulty planning or solving problems, withdrawing from work or social activities, confusion with time and place, personality changes, and changes in mood or behavior.

The tube feeding in Dr. Hadil’s research is Artificial Nutrition and Hydration (ANH). ANH is a medical treatment that allows a person to receive nutrition (food) and hydration (fluids) when they are no longer able to take them. This is usually used for the elderly who have difficulty swallowing to avoid being underweight, malnutrition and dehydration. “However, ANH has side effects in the form of vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, infection, discomfort, stress, and increased social isolation,” explained Dr. Fair.

To overcome these side effects, the solution that can be done is to do Assisted Hand Feeding (AHF), positions and skills when eating, and changing the texture of food to make it easier to swallow. (Nirvana/Reporter)