Kaplan question bank question- feeding tube

suzanne4, RN · Apr 21, 2008

Depending on what the stem of the question is. In a hopsital setting you change the bag every four hours for certain types of formula. In a home setting in order to preserve the number of bags used, if the bag itself is good for 34, then rinse the bag every four. In the hospital it is changed every four because it reduces the bacterial growth.
On a side note we have new bags from formula that are good for 24 hours but these are for 24 hour continuous infusions.

Sorry, but bags are never changed out every four hours, the cost would make it impossible to do, they only get rinsed out and then refilled every four hours. And this is in the hospital, both with adults and peds patients.

But most of the feeds are now coming in special pre-filled containers that are good for 48 hours. No longer just 24 hours.

Be aware that this thread was started last summer and things are always changing. But I do not know of one facility where the bags are discarded every four hours, this is not even recommended by the companies that manufacture the feedings.

laronda134 · Apr 21, 2008

At my job you rinse it out every four hours and change the bag every 24 hours.

ibethandysa · Apr 21, 2008

With a around the clock feeding tube do you actually rinse the bag out?
I thought you changed the bag.
The answer is rinse the bag.

yeah, i thought that was gross

suzanne4, RN · Apr 21, 2008

yeah, i thought that was gross

Not sure what is gross, this is how things have been done for years and years. But now with the bottle of tube feeding and just spiking it with the special tubing, it can remain up for 24 to 48 hours.

You just do not see many facilities using the bag any longer, but rinsing it and reusing it for 24 hours is quite adequate.

morte, LPN, LVN · Apr 21, 2008

in 20 plus years, i have NEVER rinsed a bag or the bottles that you could fill....NEVER.....acute care or long term care

Helper4Life_RN · May 28, 2008

Kaplan is driving me insane. Just when I thought I had it. Was doing well on Q banks questions until I drove myself completely insane trying ot do a 1000 questions in 3 days. I don't want to look at questions now. Was doing ok on the the trainer questions now I'm scared to look at a question because of brain over load. My school won't allow me to take NCLEX until I pass Kaplan. I'm a ball of nerves. Next week I must pass Kaplan or I can't schedule NCLEX this sucks. All these years of being in school all to get to this point and be in limbo. Is Kaplan helping not really its making me frustrated and I fear that if I pass next week that I will fail NCLEX because of all the stress I'm enduring.

suzanne4, RN · May 28, 2008

in 20 plus years, i have NEVER rinsed a bag or the bottles that you could fill....NEVER.....acute care or long term care

Not sure where you worked, but you actually changed a bag every four hours? There is absolutely no reason to do that. And you normally only put in enough formula for the four hours and then rinsed it out and added in for four more hours.

This was policy and procedure for years all over the country and it actually still is for the facilities that still use cans and the bags.

CalypsoRN · May 28, 2008

It is funny that you say that I had a question today that asked if a child comes into the emergency room wheezing what is most important question to ask the parents

the one I chose was is the child up to date on their immunizations

the other options were

did they have their favorite toy

do you or your child have a history of asthma

your child choke on a hot dog before coming in

the frigging answer was the hot dog

so I NEED TO ASK KAPLAN ABOUT THAT ONE

:banghead:

Chloe'sinNYNow · May 28, 2008

It is funny that you say that I had a question today that asked if a child comes into the emergency room wheezing what is most important question to ask the parents
the one I chose was is the child up to date on their immunizations
the other options were
did they have their favorite toy
do you or your child have a history of asthma
your child choke on a hot dog before coming in

the frigging answer was the hot dog

so I NEED TO ASK KAPLAN ABOUT THAT ONE
:banghead:

Kaplan is big on their ABC's. Airway=Aspiration w/ them before anything w/ many many many of their q-bank. Hence the hot dog. Foreign object obstruction. Or somethign like that as I recall.

Keep workin the q-bank tho'. You'll be glad you did

Chloe

:nurse:

RN-BSN, BA

morte, LPN, LVN · May 28, 2008

Not sure where you worked, but you actually changed a bag every four hours? There is absolutely no reason to do that. And you normally only put in enough formula for the four hours and then rinsed it out and added in for four more hours.
This was policy and procedure for years all over the country and it actually still is for the facilities that still use cans and the bags.

no, didnt change bags/bottles....just refilled them, over the 24 hour period...filled as full as they could be and kept topped off till the amount for the day was accounted for....hopefully when anyone introduced water into these bags it was sterile? bacteria are going to grow on the sides of the container that are coated with feeding....hence keeping it full..and tap water use would be introducing bacteria.....the first time i was introduced to tube feed...was working in food service...the kitchen prepared, put in dispensing containers,filled, and each one was hung and discarded when empty.