NG/OG tube placement

Nurses General Nursing

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Is it possible, in a fully conscious pt., to insert an NG/OG tube into their lung and NOT have them gasping for air and becoming hysterical? Has anyone ever misplaced a tube and had the pt. just sit calmly with a tube in their lung? It just seems to me that it should be quite obvious if you are in the wrong place--I have only put one NG in a lung and the pt. pretty much stopped breathing due to laryngospasms until I took it out.

Now, if you did get the tube in the lung and the pt. was sitting quietly and you started dumping fluid in (lavage) wouldn't they immediately start having resp. distress as soon as the fluid hit their lung?

I just don't always trust the listening for air method, I thought I could learn from ya'lls experience...

Thanks. :nurse:

Specializes in ward nursing - cardiac, medical, neuro.

I was answering NurseJen's question about why litmus paper, and what other aspirates a person might find. I agree, absolutely, that it is best practice to X-ray for placement, and every place I've worked has required this prior to starting a feed. Why do both? - anybody's guess - if we're going to do an x-ray anyways... it's kind of redundant. I did do it on a doctor's request once, when the tube had to be advanced by 10cm, and I was to check the pH, then call the results back to the Doc before starting the feed.

Tonight I placed a NG with a psych pt, I explain the whole process it was just to make her prep go by faster. Well I got to a point and it was not moving anymore and she was semi- choking but I waited a few seconds and decided right thing to do is pull it back out. I believe it was in her lungs which is still not my main concern because I had not started the prep in it. She decided it was easier to drink and after and hour we had to make a Rapid Response Call she was completely lethargic and slumped over. After a few minutes she was fine and back to normal. Has anything ever gone wrong from a NG placed in the wrong spot ? I keep thinking I may of messed her up but the tube was not in their for more then 10 seconds.

Tonight I placed a NG with a psych pt, I explain the whole process it was just to make her prep go by faster. Well I got to a point and it was not moving anymore and she was semi- choking but I waited a few seconds and decided right thing to do is pull it back out. I believe it was in her lungs which is still not my main concern because I had not started the prep in it. She decided it was easier to drink and after and hour we had to make a Rapid Response Call she was completely lethargic and slumped over. After a few minutes she was fine and back to normal. Has anything ever gone wrong from a NG placed in the wrong spot ? I keep thinking I may of messed her up but the tube was not in their for more then 10 seconds.

If a tube is in the GI tract, theoretically you could see the end of it disappear, and find it at the south end a day or so later....it not moving tells me it wasn't in the right place. OR, some med was causing a funky gag reflex. :confused:

How far in was it? Had you measured the needed length and marked it with a piece of tape to know how far down you needed to be (and then see how far in it actually was).?

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