Question

What supplies do you need?

How do you measure how far to insert the NG tube?

Why would a patient need a NG tube inserted?

What position should the patient be in?

What education are you going to give before, during, and after the procedure?

What are three ways we can use to ensure proper placement of the NG tube?

How did you do while practicing? Did you forget anything? Did you ID your patient and ask allergies?

Answer 1

1.

To insert an NG tube You need following Supplies:-

• NG tube of appropriate size
• Xylocaine 2% jelly
• Sterile Gloves
• Tube Fixing material
• Kidney filled with sterile water
• Syringe to check NG tube placement
• Stethoscope

2.

To measure the correct length of the NG tube, first, measure the length from the patient nose to ear lobule, then again from ear lobule to xiphoid process of the sternum. By adding these two lengths you will get the length of Ng tube to be inserted in the body.

3.

Nasogastric tube mainly inserted to provide nutritional support directly to the stomach in case the patient unable to take food by mouth due to various reasons or to remove the content of the stomach. The cases in which NG tube is required are

- Surgery of mouth and esophagus(to provide food directly into the stomach)

- Unconscious patients(to prevent aspiration)

- Neurological and neuromuscular disorders(to prevent aspiration and give nutritional support)

- Dysphagia

- Need for continuous gastric infusion

- Gastric lavage(to remove gastric content)

4. While providing NG tube the patient should be placed in a semi fowler or fowler position. The main reason for these positions is to prevent aspiration into the lungs.