ANSWER :
NURSING CARE IN PATIENT RECEIVING NASOENTERIC NUTRITION :
1.Provide oral and skin care - Give mouth rinses and apply
lubricants to patients lips and nostrils.
2.Verify NG tube placement -
- Aspirating stomach contents - This indicates the proper
position of tube in the stomach.Amount of residual volume reflects
gastric emptying time and indicates if feeding should proceed.
- Injecting 10 - 20 ml of air into tube -Gurgling sound usually
sound that the tube is in the stomach.
- Measuring pH of aspirated gastric secretions -Gastric contents
are acidic ,pH indicator strip reflect a range of 1-4.
- Taking an X ray or ultrasound .
3.Wear gloves - Wear gloves while starting an NG to prevent
contact with patients blood and body fluids.
4.Face and eye protection -It is needed if the risk for vomiting
is high for the patient.
STEPS IN MONITORING NG TUBE :
- Confirm physicians order for NG tube, type of suction and
direction for irrigation.
- Observe drainage from NG tube- check amount ,colour
,consistency and odour.Check hematest drainage to confirm presence
of blood in drainage.
- Inspect suction apparatus every 2 hours -Check that setting is
correct for the type of suction(continous or intermittent), range
of suction (low ,medium and high).
- Assess placement of NG tube.
- Assess comfort ,mobility and respiratory status of client.
- Assess clients abdomen for distension and auscultate for
presence of bowel sounds.
- Observe condition of clients nostrils and oral cavity.
- Record and measure NG irrigations and drainage.
MEASURES TO PREVENT ASPIRATION :
- Patient should be fed sitting up or at a 30 -45°
semirecumbant body position.
- They should remain in that position atleast for 1 hr after
feeding is completed.
- Iso-osmotic feeds are preferred since high osmolality feeds
delay gastric emptying.
- Intermittent feeding(200-400 ml every 4 hrs)is preferred for
gastric feedings due to reservoir of stomach.
- Gastric residual volume should be checked since there may be
increased risk of aspiration if gastric contents accumulate.
- Promotility drugs decrease the risk of aspiration.