RESUMO
Hospital-prepared tube feedings from four Philippine acute-care hospitals were analysed for microbial contamination. Two feedings were prepared on three separate days at each hospital. The tube feedings were either blended natural whole foods or a reconstituted commercial powdered nutritional product. Samples of each feeding were collected for coliform count and standard plate count at the time of preparation and at 1, 2 and 4 h after preparation after maintenance at room temperature (26-31 degrees C). At the time of preparation, mean coliform and standard plate counts for all samples were 10.3 most probable number per gram (MPN/g) and 7.4x10(4)colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g), respectively. Nine of 24 samples (38%) had coliform counts greater than 10 MPN/g, and 22/24 (92%) samples had standard plate counts greater than 10(3) cfu/g. There were significant increases in mean coliform and standard plate counts over 4 h (P=0.0005 and P=0.008, respectively). At 4 h after preparation, the mean coliform and standard plate counts were 18.2 MPN/g and 2.1x10(5) cfu/g, respectively. At this time, 18/24 (75%) samples had coliform counts greater than 10 MPN/g and 20/24 (83%) samples had standard plate counts greater than 10(5) cfu/g. The results of this study show that the microbial quality of the majority of the hospital-prepared enteral tube feedings analysed were not within published guidelines for safety.
