Progression of the oral diet

To institute necessary dietary restrictions with subsequent dietary progression according to patient tolerance.

Objective:

To facilitate the absorption and digestion of the diet through modification of diet texture.

Material:

– Prescribed diet. – Nursing records.

Procedure:

– Preserve the patient’s privacy. – Inform the patient. – Request the collaboration of the patient and family. – Corroborate the prescription of progressive diet. – Determine the presence of bowel sounds and flatus output. – Check the patient’s tolerance to water, if tolerance is good start progression. – The progression of the diet should follow the following phases: liquid, semi-soft, soft and basal diet. – Observe tolerance to diet progression. – Record the patient’s tolerance and stage of diet progression in the nursing documentation.

Observations:

– Liquid diet: intended for patients who after a period of fasting or after surgery, can not establish a complete diet. Composed of small amounts of food, with fluid textures and easily digestible foods.

– Semi-soft diet: it is a progression diet, so it increases consistency, with the same indications as the previous one. – Shredded diet: chewing and swallowing problems. – Soft or soft mechanical diet: serves as a progression to the basal diet, so it has a soft texture and is easy to chew. Raw vegetables, whole cereals, fried foods and stews are not accepted, fats are limited, especially those of animal origin. – Basal or normal diet: this is the normal diet indicated for patients without any pathology or special recommendation.