Excessive feeding volume during enteral nutrition is most likely to cause which symptom?

• A. It reduces infection risk
• B. It can cause nausea and vomiting
• C. It has no effect
• D. It increases tolerance

Answer: (B)

Excessive enteral feeding volume mainly challenges the stomach’s ability to accommodate and empty content. When the volume is too high, the stomach becomes distended, triggering stretch receptors and vagal reflexes that lead to nausea and vomiting. This intolerance signal is typically the most immediate and direct symptom of overfeeding, reflecting that the GI tract cannot handle the volume at the given rate. Overfeeding does not improve tolerance or reduce infection risk; in fact, it commonly worsens tolerance and can raise the risk of complications like regurgitation or aspiration, which is why careful titration of volume and rate is essential.