Enteral Feeding (PEG/G/J tubing)

[rachelgeorgina]

I'm looking for some decent, not-to-complex literature, advice and experiences regarding enteral nutrition - particular gastrostomy and also jejunostomy based tubing and feeds (e.g. PEG tubes). I'm currently a student but we haven't covered this in classes or clinicals yet, however I've started working in a prestigious children's facility (a hospice, also providing respite care for the terminally ill) where long-term stomach tubes are common place. I'd like to know more about them and how to administer feeds (both at a rate with the pump and bolus). The staff at the facility are great and have been talking me through the feeds, showing me how things work and so forth, but I would like a significantly larger knowledge base before anyone lets me touch these kids tubes.

So far Google hasn't proven to useful, though I did find one e-book - Tube feeding: practical guidelines and nursing protocols - as well as the auSPEN (Australasian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition) Clinical Practice Guidelines (and of course my text books).

• One thing that I'm finding really confusing is that all the kids have different buttons/tubes with different ports and access points and I'm not sure how to distinguish each tube/button based on literary descriptions.
  
• The other thing I'm really after is a step-by-step guide for bolus and pump feeds in nurse speak (not text book speak!) I've got the basics from listening and observing at work and I get that lots of nurses have their own ways about things, but I'd love to hear how YOU have learnt this procedure/how you implement it.
  

Thanks a heap!

[nrsmela]

try looking at the hospitals policy on enteral feedings..this is where you should be able to find your bolus( i am assuming your talking about flushing here) and the basic protocols (syringe size and how much to flush with before and after) to safely admin a tube feeding according to your intitution.

i have done several tube feedings this semester and the policies really help.

as far as step by step guides, check the library, my school has several videos that show a tube feeding procedure from start to finish.

hope this helps and goodluck!!

[rachelgeorgina]

When I say bolus I mean a bolus feed (as opposed to a continuous one running with a pump) - not flushing.

I shall scour the little library we have at work and see what I can find, and check out the uni library, too!

Thank you!