Close Alert Banner
Skip to Content

Hospital

ResearchFoundation

Text Resize

Regular Large X-Large

Colour Contrast

Default High

Accessible formats and communication supports are available, please contact accessibility@cheo.on.ca

View Our Accessibility Plan

CareersContact UsWebsite FeedbackMyChart
FR
Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario Logo
Contact Us
  • Visiting CHEO
    • Accessibility
    • Amenities
    • Cold and flu season
    • COVID-19
    • Emergency care
    • Family and caregiver supports
    • Family-Centred Rounds
    • Find your doctor
    • Health Records
    • Maps and locations
    • Parking
    • Pay your bill
    • Pharmacy (Kidcare)
    • Preparing for your stay or visit
    • Visiting hours and policies
    View our Physician directory page
    Find Your Doctor Directory
  • Clinics, Services & Programs
    • Directory
    • Emergency care
    • IR/Cath and Sim Labs
    • Make a referral
    • Mental health
    • School
    • Surgical care
    • Technology Enabling Child Health Innovations (TECHi)
    • Virtual care
  • Resources and Support
    • A-Z resources
    • Community supports
    • Families First newsletter
    • Family and caregiver supports
    • Indigeneity - Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Social justice
    • Patient Experience
    • Reads2CHEO
    • Transition to adult care
  • Get Involved
    • Co-op program
    • Donate
    • Family Advisory Council
    • Feedback
    • Share your voice
    • Volunteer
    • YouthNet
  • About Us
    • 1Door4Care
    • About CHEO
    • Advocacy
    • Awards, Accreditations and Designations
    • Blog
    • Careers
    • Contact us
    • Disclaimer
    • Find your doctor
    • For community physicians
    • For learners, students and residents
    • For pharmacists
    • Indigeneity - Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Social justice
    • Innovation
    • Kids Come First
    • Leadership
    • Newsroom
    • Partners
    • Privacy and confidentiality
    • Reporting and statistics
    • Research and innovation
    • Social media terms of use
    • Strategy Renewal
HomeResources and SupportA-Z resourcesENFit – Transitioning to safer enteral connection...

ENFit – Transitioning to safer enteral connections

Boy smiling

Regular Large X-Large
 
  • Open new window to share this page via Facebook Facebook
  • Open new window to share this page via LinkedIn LinkedIn
  • Open new window to share this page via Twitter Twitter
  • Email this page Email
Resources and Support
    • A-Z resources
      Toggle Section A-Z resources Menu
      • ACL injuries
      • Adenoidectomy
      • ADHD
      • Allergies
      • Anger
      • Anxiety and stress management
      • Asthma
      • Autism
      • Back to school
      • Bipolar disorder
      • Borderline personality disorder
      • Breastfeeding
      • Broken bones and torn ligaments
      • Bronchiolitis
      • Broviac central line
      • Bullying
      • Burns
      • Cancer
      • Cast care
      • Cerebral Palsy
      • Child and youth abuse
      • Complimentary and alternative medicine
      • Concussion
      • Connective Tissue Diseases
      • Constipation
      • Continuous nerve blocks at home
      • Cough and cold
      • COVID-19
      • Croup
      • Crutches
      • Crying
      • Cystic fibrosis
      • Depression
      • Developmental displasia
      • Diabetes
      • Diarrhea and vomiting
      • Down syndrome
      • Ear tubes
      • Eating disorders
      • Eczema (atopic dermatitis)
      • Emergency care
      • ENFit – Transitioning to safer enteral connections
      • Epilepsy
      • FASD
      • Feeding
      • Fever
      • Financial tips
      • Functional endoscopic sinus surgery
      • Gastrostomy tubes
      • Grief and bereavement
      • Gut health
      • Halo vests
      • Head injuries
      • Healthy active living
      • Heart murmurs
      • Hip spica casts
      • Hospitalization and surgery
      • Indigenous peoples
      • Infectious Diseases
      • Intoeing
      • IV care
      • Learning disabilities and dyslexia
      • Medical imaging
      • Mental health
      • Mindfulness
      • MIS-C
      • Neck surgery
      • Neonatal Intensive Care/Premature babies
      • Nosebleeds
      • Nutrition
      • OCD
      • Oncology
      • Pain and chronic illness
      • Pain management for procedures (Comfort Care)
      • Parenting
      • Parenting - special needs
      • Pavlik harness
      • Pelvic fractures
      • Polycystic ovarian syndrome
      • Preparing for an ultrasound (Urology and Nephrology)
      • Puberty
      • Recreation therapy
      • Scoliosis
      • Sedation for medical procedures
      • Self esteem
      • Self harm
      • Sensory processing disorder
      • Sexual orientation and gender identity
      • Siblings
      • Sickle cell anemia
      • Sleep
      • Social anxiety
      • Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus
      • Staying at CHEO
      • Strep Throat
      • Stuttering and language development
      • Substance abuse
      • Suicide
      • Taking care of burns
      • Taking pills
      • Technology and family life
      • Toilet training
      • Tonsillectomy
      • Torticollis
      • Tourette syndrome
      • Traumatic brain injury
      • Ultrasounds
      • Vaccination
        Toggle Section Vaccination Menu
        • COVID vaccine FAQs
      • Vascular access
      • Vulvovaginitis
    • Community supports
    • Families First newsletter
    • Family and caregiver supports
      Toggle Section Family and caregiver supports Menu
      • Child Life
      • Grief and Bereavement Care
      • Language and interpretation services
      • Navigator Program
      • Social work
      • Spiritual support
    • Indigeneity - Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Social justice
    • Patient Experience
      Toggle Section Patient Experience Menu
      • Bioethics Consultation Service
    • Reads2CHEO
    • Transition to adult care

Contact us

Receive Email Updates...
Print as a PDF fact sheet 

For best results make sure background graphics are enabled.

What is ENFit? 

An ENFit is a global patient-safety initiative which makes mealtime and medication administration as safe as possible by reducing the risk of misconnection and leakage. The ENFit feeding tube connectors are purposely designed to be incompatible with the connectors for other delivery systems such as trach tubes, IV lines and catheters. 

Why is CHEO transitioning to ENFit?

  • Enhances child and youth safety
  • Reduces likelihood of misconnections and disconnections
  • Features a unique design that does not allow connectivity with other delivery systems
  • Provides a locking feature that signals appropriate connection and stays in place
  • Helps prevent formula leaks from tubing during feeding
Did you know? The transition to ENFit in pediatrics has been prepared in collaboration with pediatric institutions throughout Ontario. CHEO is the first children's hospital in the province to convert to ENFit!

What's the difference?

  • Picture showcasing the difference between the current connectors and ENFit connectorsENFit uses a twist-in connection rather than the friction-held legacy connectors
  • The design comes with enhanced cleaning practices to prevent build-up or residue from feeds and liquid medications
  • ENFit system also comes with specific medication accessories that ensure dose accuracy for medications

Why was ENFit created?

  • ENFit was created to reduce the risk of misconnections. Over the years, misconnections have caused serious harm, and in some cases death, to people of all ages.
  • The current legacy connectors have a risk of disconnection from medication and feeding ports. Disconnections can lead to children missing hours of feeds.

ENFit Gastrostomy Tubes

CHEO’s surgical team is exploring new G-Tubes and G-Tube insertion techniques. The Kidcare Pharmacy will carry ENFit low profile devices (Mic-Key and AMT Mini)

G-Tube primary series will remain as a cook/pigtail catheter, and will require a transition connecter for use

NEOMED PVC Feeding Tubes

Picture of the NEOMED PVC Feeding Tube

The NEOMED PVC ENFit feeding tube features an open hub design that:

  • Eliminates a floor where breast milk and formula can accumulate which can foster bacterial growth
  • Facilitates effective cleaning

The closure plug wave pattern:

  • Allows air flow through the hub, which helps reduce bacterial formation
  • Minimizes debris from entering the feeding tube opening 

How much do supplies cost?

ENFit supplies are comparable in cost to legacy connecters and can be purchased through most vendors and distributers.

ENFit cleaning: inspect before you connect

While the ENFit design maintains a secure connection, it does create a space, called a moat, where feeds and medications can get trapped.

Enhanced cleaning practices are required to prevent residue from building up in the moat.

To prevent clogging, it is important to keep the moat clean. The moat should be cleaned every 24 hours or whenever material is visible.  

Image that shows the tube residue buildup, referred to as the moat

Cleaning tips

  • When priming the extension set and the pump set/bag, stop priming before fluid reaches the end of the tubing
  • After drawing up liquid medications with an ENFit syringe, clear the moat by gently flicking the syringe or wiping the tip of syringe with a clean cloth to remove any excess medication
  • Avoid overtightening the ENFit connections
#BestLife for every child and youth

This reference is for educational purposes only. If you have any questions, ask your health-care provider. 

November 2022 | P6271 | www.cheo.on.ca

CHEO

  • Visiting CHEO
  • Clinics, Services & Programs
  • Resources and Support
  • Get Involved
  • About Us

Contact Us

CHEO
401 Smyth Road
Ottawa ON K1H 8L1
Phone: 613-737-7600
Email Us

 

Connect with us

View our Facebook Page View our Twitter Page View our Instagram Page View our YouTube Page View our LinkedIn Page

Sign up for our newsletter

twitter:1248b279-93aa-4ec9-8398-fb5ed28a6413

Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario logo

Copyright 2021 CHEO.

By GHD Digital
  • Sitemap
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy and confidentiality
  • Website Feedback
  • Contact Us

Staff Portal

Close Old Browser Notification
Browser Compatibility Notification
It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.