ORAL CARE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER COMPLETION OF RADIOTHERAPY
By: Ms Lita Chew, Manager
Oncology Pharmacy, NCC

Enteral Supplements

Maintaining good nutrition can help the cancer patient improve daily functioning. In some patients, getting enough nutrition can be a problem and may therefore require nutritional supplements in the form of enteral feeds.
Enteral Nutritional Supplements are medical foods which are used in addition to normal diet. They supply some or all of the macronutrients such as energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate and micronutrients vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
There is a wide variety of nutritional supplements ranging from powdered to ready-to-drink preparations which are available in different flavors. Types commonly available from pharmacies are:

• Powdered Supplement (Enercal Plus, Ensure) - to be prepared in water or added to foods, such as soups, puddings, mashed potato or cereals
• Milk based Ready-to-Drink Products (Ensure Plus, Fortisip, Resource) - may be fiber-enriched. Nutritional complete and provide 1.0-1.7kcal/ml.
• Fruit juice based Ready-to-Drink Products (Enlive, Fortijuice) - Not nutritional complete because they are fat-free. Provide 1.25-1.5 kcal/ml and contains protein, vitamins and minerals.
• Semi-Solid/Pudding type Supplements (Fortipudding) - Provide 1.25-1.5 kcal/ml.
• Modular Supplements (Promod) - provide a single nutrient such as protein or carbohydrate only preparations. For use in special situation.

The supplement chosen for a patient will depend on the clinical condition, palatability, nutritional profile of product, price and acceptability of the product to patient. The amount of feeds required will depend on the patient’s nutritional requirement and actual food intake. Supplements should be taken as an addition to a normal diet and not as meal replacements. It should also be taken at appropriate times to avoid affecting overall food intake.

Points to remember when taking Nutritional Supplements:

• The product may taste better if chilled, although most can be stored unopened at room temperature.
• All supplements, once opened, must be stored in a refrigerator. Do not to keep them for longer than 24 hours.
• Take supplements in between meals or after meals, so as not to ruin your appetite. They should not replace your usual diet, but be taken in addition to meals.

If you require information about a specific product you can enquire with our Retail Pharmacy on tel: 6436 8091 or the Drug Information Help Desk on tel: 6436 8282.