Expert: Nafeesah - 11/25/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
During a 5150 hold (3 day involuntary psychiatric hold), if the anorexic doesn't eat anything, is he/she fed by a feeding tube or is the person offered a nutritional drink like Ensure first?
Does the anorexic have the option to eat solid food or drink a nutrtional drink before being punished with a feeding tube?
Also, in a treatment center, if an anorexic doesn't eat anything, is the person offered a nutritional drink first before the feeding tube? Is the anorexic only fed by feeding tube if he/she doesn't eat solid food or drink a nutritional drink?
Please give me full details of what happens if an anorexic doesn't eat anything during a 5150 or while in a treatment center. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Chris

ANSWER: They're usually put on a feeding tube for nourishment and that's only when a doctor orders it.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: If an anorexic is only tube fed, how many calories does he/she receive daily from the feeding tube? I hope it's less than 800 calories.

Answer
That depends on the what the doctor and the nutritionist decide on when they put a treatment plan together for that individual patient's needs. It's not less than 800 calories I can tell you that the average person takes in between 1000-2500 calories a day. Anorexics are not allowed to even function like that in treatment and the only time tube feeding is done is if they're ordered on it when they're severely emaciated and need to wean them back solid food and ONLY when a doctor orders it.