Which medication would be appropriate to crush and deliver via an enteral feeding tube?

Which medication would be appropriate to crush and deliver via an enteral feeding tube?

• A. Nifedipine XL
• B. Metoprolol immediate release
• C. Enteric coated aspirin
• D. Diltiazem CD

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that only certain tablet formulations can be safely crushed for delivery through an enteral feeding tube. Immediate-release forms are designed to dissolve quickly, so crushing them and suspending in water allows the dose to pass through the tube reliably without altering how the drug is released. Metoprolol in immediate-release form fits this because it is intended to release promptly after ingestion and can be crushed and flushed with water for tube administration. In contrast, extended-release or controlled-delivery forms (like the extended-release nifedipine and the controlled-delivery diltiazem) rely on their release mechanisms to space out absorption; crushing them would disrupt that profile and could cause rapid, excessive levels or unsafe effects. An enteric-coated aspirin has a coating to protect the stomach or control where absorption occurs; crushing would remove that protection and change where and how the drug is released, increasing irritation risk and altering absorption.

The key idea is that only certain tablet formulations can be safely crushed for delivery through an enteral feeding tube. Immediate-release forms are designed to dissolve quickly, so crushing them and suspending in water allows the dose to pass through the tube reliably without altering how the drug is released.

Metoprolol in immediate-release form fits this because it is intended to release promptly after ingestion and can be crushed and flushed with water for tube administration. In contrast, extended-release or controlled-delivery forms (like the extended-release nifedipine and the controlled-delivery diltiazem) rely on their release mechanisms to space out absorption; crushing them would disrupt that profile and could cause rapid, excessive levels or unsafe effects. An enteric-coated aspirin has a coating to protect the stomach or control where absorption occurs; crushing would remove that protection and change where and how the drug is released, increasing irritation risk and altering absorption.