Foley cath as g tube?

[organicnurse24]

My resident's g tube came out, and the hospital replaced it with a foley cath. I'm told this is common, although I've been a nurse for 4 years and never seen in. My resident is on cyclic g tube feedings. But the foley has no cap or clamp, so if I disconnect him from the tube feed, everything leaks out of the tube! Any suggestions?

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

It's usually a temporary place holder not intended to be used for feeds or medications. There should have been arrangements made for an actual GT insertion, assuming the foley was inserted by ED staff. Call the physician/surgeon. There have been cases of peritonitis after foleys were used for GT feeds for an extended period of time (just a few days).

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Here's one complication

Acute Pancreatitis: A Complication of Foley Catheter Gastrostomy

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

As far as the leaking, double the tube back on itself and rubber band it or use a binder clamp.

[nutella, MSN, RN]

The above referenced article is old...

Anyhow, in my area it is common to use a foley as a g-tube for patients who are on tube feeds on a long-term basis. Patients who get a g-tube as a temporary solution (for example radiation for neck cancer/mouth cancer) still get the "regular" g-tube.

I have seen foleys as a g-tube in long-term care facilities and at home (I work in home hospice) and there are of course advantages like easy insertion if it comes out. Especially when one is clogged due to not crushing medications sufficiently it can be replaced easily.

Since the foley is flexible and soft you can just pinch it closed with your fingers when you open it to give fluids/nutrition or meds. I always put a paper towel under it though in case something spills - in the hospital I simply took a washcloth to prevent spilling onto patients.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

We use them in the pediatric world as temporary place holders.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

You could clamp with a hemastat

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

The general surgeons I work with will use them as temporary tubes during bowel surgery- we connect them to a foley bag when they're initially put in.

[txbornnurse]

We used foleys long term for our g tube folks, years at a time without any issues. In fact the pediatric GI surgeon who did most of our clients initial g tube placements recommended using foleys as a cost saving for long term g tube folks. We used a Lopez valve to close it off when not receiving a feeding or medications. It works great for this purpose.

[VANurse2010]

I've seen it before and have seen it used without problems - but it was always as a stop-gap until a real one could replace it.

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

I second that I've seen it for temporary purposes. One pt had to wait while they ordered a part (?) so the Foley was the temporary solution. A Lopez valve or even just a clamp would work well to prevent the feeding from getting everywhere. It seems strange but nursing is an art of resourcefulness. :)

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

I had a patient in the ER whose G tube had come out. We tried to stick a new G tube back in and it did not work. Finally, we stuck a foley in there and the patient was discharged back to her group home. I cut the stopper off one of the G tube's we had tried to stick in her and stuck that in the foley so stuff wouldn't leak.