| The enteral tube feeding (ETF) delivery system comprises a key therapeutic tool for preventing the development of malnutrition in
hospitalized patients. The microbial composition of ETFs fulfills a crucial role in patient’s health, particularly for those who are
immunocompromised. The present study aimed to assess the bacterial quality of handmade ETF samples collected from the Imam Reza
Hospital of Tabriz, Iran. In total, 45 samples were collected from the ETF preparation kitchen. The bacterial compositions of the samples
(counts of total mesophilic bacteria (TMB), Enterobacter spp., and Pseudomonas spp.) were examined by common microbiological methods.
The molecular characterization of the isolated strains was performed via 16S rRNA gene sequencing after PCR amplification. The
examination of the ETF samples indicated that no sample had zero TMB count, while 57 % (26/45) of the ETF samples had ≥ 104 colony
forming units (CFU) of TMB, ≥ 102 CFU of Enterobacter spp., ≥ 10 CFU of Klebsiella pneumonia, and ≥ 103 CFU of Pseudomonas species.
This study reveals that ETFs must achieve a more acceptable level of microbial quality through the implementation of rigorous health
principles coupled with continuous monitoring |