Universal Small Bore Connectors (ENFit) for Enteral Access: Implications for Clinical Practice

Misconnections with various types of intravenous and enteral access devices have been recognized as a potentially deadly healthcare problem. Contributing factors to these misconnections include lack of healthcare provider education, transporting patients to different locations, and interchangeability of the enteral tubes with other tubes such as central venous catheters. An international effort led by EN industry leaders has developed a small bore enteral connector (ENFit) that, in theory, will reduce the frequency of misconnections. We fully endorse the development of a safer EN access device that will minimize the risk of misconnections. Despite the potential benefit of preventing misconnections, the full impact of the adoption of the ENFit connector on clinical practice remains unknown. The purpose of this review is to examine the impact of the proposed new small bore enteral connector on a number of clinical situations including delivery of blenderized tube feeds, medications, and venting.