Tube Feedings

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• No tube feedings if absent bowel sounds.u00a0 Really, no food is no bowel sounds!
• Hold if residuals > 100ml
• Return what you aspirate. It has gastric juices necessary for digestion, plus client will become more alkalinic. Also, think of electrolyte imbalances
• Flush NG tube with 30-50 ml NS before and after meds
• Check NG tube placement prior to feeding/meds. Confirm with gastric pH <4.
• Clamp tube x 30 minutes after meds to increase medication absorption.
• Semi-fowlers to prevent aspiration
• In septic or critically-ill clients, the best nutrition is to give tube feedings.u00a0 TPN has greater risk for infection.
• Again, enteral feedings maintain gut integrity and helps prevent stress ulcers with clients during sepsis and respiratory failure.u00a0 Enteral feedings have lower infection complications as compared to TPN.