The dangers of trying to make ends meet: accidental intravenous administration of enteral feed.

We report a case of inadvertent intravenous administration of enteral feed, a very rare but potentially life-threatening complication of enteral feeding. Bacterial contamination of feed results in a severe septic response that requires broad-spectrum antibiotic cover and aggressive organ support. The failure of measures aimed at prevention of this complication must be investigated, and practice changed to ensure that further incidents are avoided.