Which type of medication should be crushed for administration via enteral feeding tube?

• A. Only immediate release tablets
• B. Any tablet can be crushed with caution
• C. Only modified-release tablets
• D. Only liquids

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that how a tablet is formulated determines whether it can be crushed for tube administration. Immediate-release tablets are designed to disintegrate and release the drug quickly, so crushing them to a fine powder and flushing with water through the feeding tube is generally acceptable to deliver the dose. Crushing anything that is not immediate-release—such as modified-release, sustained-release, or enteric-coated forms—alters the intended release pattern, which can lead to dose-dumping, higher peak levels, toxicity, reduced local protection of the GI tract, or irritation. Liquids are already in a form suitable for administration, but the question focuses on whether crushing solids is appropriate; thus, the safe and correct approach is to crush only immediate-release tablets.