How often should gastric residuals be checked during enteral feedings?

Gastric residuals should typically be checked every 4-6 hours during enteral feedings to ensure that the patient is tolerating the feedings effectively and to help prevent complications such as aspiration or feeding intolerance. This timing allows healthcare providers to monitor the patient's digestive response without unnecessarily interrupting the feeding schedule. Continuous or too frequent assessments can lead to over-reporting of residuals and may result in withholding feedings when it may not be necessary, potentially impacting the patient's nutrition and hydration status. By choosing to check gastric residuals every 4-6 hours, caregivers strike a balance between adequate monitoring and maintaining nutritional intake.