Continuous drip feeding is used in those patients who cannot tolerate boluses of food or in those patients in whom the presence of a large volume of material in the stomach is deemed inadvisable. The continuous infusion of liquid nutrients or formula can be achieved through a nasogastric, gastrostomy, or duodenal tube.

Because of circadian rhythms, bowel function is not optimal during the late hours of the evening and early hours of the morning (11 PM to 5 AM). For this reason, some practitioners administer the 24-hour continuous drip requirement over a 16-hour period.