Question

56. What tips can you provide the patient to ease the insertion of an NG tube?

57. Why would it be unsafe to use a petrolatum product, such as Vaseline, for lubrication of an NG tube?

58. What are the various methods used to verify tube placement prior to instillation of anything into the NG tube?

60. You suspect a patient is experiencing hypoglycemia. What are the signs and symptoms for which you should assess? List at least six. If you find several of these signs and symptoms, what should be your first intervention?

Answer 1

56.NG tube insertion is a procedure of insertion of a thin plastic tube through the nostrils ,oesophagus into the the stomach to feed the patient .

To ease the insertion of NG tube we can advice the patient ,

# Instruct the patient to lying down the bed with head elevated or sitting in a chair with a pillow under the head and shoulders. This allows the easy passage of NG tube.

# Instruc the patient to swallow while tube inserting. That will help easy insertion of ng tube.

57.Should not use the non water lubricant Jelly for tube insertion. We can only use the lubricant which is water based. Because the non water soluble lubricant will not will not dissolve and will end up with respiratory complications it it enters into the lung.

58. The most appropriate method is taking an x-ray . We can accurately find the placement of the tube through the x-ray.

Also we can ask the patient to talk, if he is not showing any coughing or chocking we can identity the tube is in a correct position.

Or we can aspirate the tube by using a 20 cc syrine. If we are getting the gastric content while aspirating we can make sure that the tube is in the right position. Also we can auscultate by using the stethescope with the help of an inflated syringe.