Enteral Feed Tubing

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Specializes in NICU.

My unit is currently looking into changing the tubing we use for enteral feeds to make sure the tubing is not accidentally hooked up to an IV. What tubing to you use? I'm looking for something that is color coded so it stands out from IV tubing, but can be used with regular syringes without extra adaptors. My NM did get a sample enteral feeding set that is purple, but you need an adaptor to hook up to syringes and another adaptor to hook up to the NG tubing. Therefore, it's quite costly. Does anyone have any suggestions for me. Can you tell me that manufacturer of the tubing you use so I can investigate it?

Thanks for you help!

NICUMama

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

We use a tubing that has a red slip-tip end on it to attach to the feeding tube, and a Luer lock for the syringe end. There is no way to attach the red end to an IV port without being creative. I'm trying so hard to "see" the packaging so I can tell you who makes them but it's just not coming to me. If you can wait until Wednesday I'll be back at work and can get the manufacturer info for you.

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Specializes in NICU.

Thanks janfrn. I'll wait for Wed.

NICUmama

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Specializes in Neonatal nursing (paediatric trained).

We use Penta and Medicina. The tubing is purple, and the syringes are purple. It uses luer-lock, but it's different from the clear syringes that are for IV only and won't hook up to any IV tubing no matter what you try. There are also adapters that we can push into our old gastric tubes or babies who've been transferred to us from other hospitals that still use the old tubes (the old ones required the male syringes).

Hope that helps.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

NICUmama, I apologise for keeping you hanging. I had "one of those days" today and didn't have a chance to even eat, much less get the info for you. Tomorrow will be a better day! (If it isn't they'll be eating my dust!)

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

Holy smokes... It's nearly been a month since I promised you this information. Please forgive me... You can sort of see the red funnel attachment at the patient end of the tubing. The Luer-lock end is red, so there can be no mistaking that end for an IV fluid path. We use this tubing for all varieties of feeding tubes from small-bore NJ and 5Fr feeding tubes to Malecots used for initial gastrostomy while the stoma matures enough for a Mic-Key button. The manufacturer is "benlan Inc" and your purchasing department can contact them through :

http://www.ic.gc.ca/app/ccc/srch/nvgt.do?lang=eng&prtl=1&sbPrtl=&estblmntNo=356558850000&profile=cmpltPrfl&profileId=710&app=sold

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Specializes in NICU Level III.

ours are baxa http://www.baxa.com/NursingProducts/OralLiquidDeliverySystems/ProductDetail/?id=63BC8FCA-3048-7B87-70AB444223162AD1

tubing is has orange on it but i don't see it on the site.

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We use children's medical ventures products from Phillips and they work great...the tubing itself is orange and the male end will not hook up to any IV. The female end will accept our BD syringes.

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Specializes in NICU.

Thank you all for your input. I am passing the information on to my NM so she can decide which one to get for use to use.

NICUMama

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