Which strategy best prevents or resolves nausea in an enterally fed patient?

• A. Decreasing the rate or volume of enteral infusion
• B. Increasing the rate of enteral infusion
• C. Increasing the volume of enteral infusion
• D. Switching to parenteral nutrition

Answer: (A)

Nausea during enteral feeding is often caused by the stomach being overwhelmed with too much volume or too fast delivery, leading to distension and delayed gastric emptying. Reducing the infusion rate or the volume lowers the gastric load, allows the stomach to empty more smoothly, and lessens the signals that trigger nausea. This direct adjustment addresses the common mechanism of intolerance and is typically the first step. Increasing rate or volume would worsen distension and nausea, while switching to parenteral nutrition is a more invasive option reserved for when enteral feeding cannot be tolerated long-term.