A seventy five year old woman with a past history of chronic obstructive airways

disease and hiatus hernia was admitted under the care of the general surgeons

with peritonitis secondary to a perforated sigmoid diverticula

She underwent a Hartmanns procedure with an end colostomy, but unfortunately

her abdominal wound dehisced

She returned to theatre several times and was managed with an abdominal VAC

dressing

She then developed pneumonia and was managed on the High Dependency Unit

(HDU)

She had poor oral intake for a variety of reasons and her progress was slow

Therefore, after a review by the dietitians, it was decided during the evening ward

round that she ought to commence nasogastric feeding