Also known as tube feeding, this term refers to the procedure where a tube is put into a person’s
stomach (through the nose, or through a small hole in the abdomen). This is done for people who are
too ill to chew or swallow by themselves or with someone else helping them. Without a feeding tube, such a person will die within days or weeks. Even with a feeding tube, the chance that a person will
live depends on the person’s overall condition.
