Gastric Decompression in the ELBW population

[helicoptergal3]

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to ask everyone your facilities policy on gastric decompression in the ELBW pop birth wt less than 800g.

What size and type of OG tube (repogle vs. Anderson) does your facility use? When on suction does your policy require continuous, intermittent or a gentle aspiration of the tube every few hours or when clinical condition suggests. If your patient is placed on intermittent/continuous suction what pressures are utilized.

When a patient ELBW is admitted(mot necessarily requiring constant decompression) what size feeding tube is placed, and how often does your policy state to change the feeding tube. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

[tjnkjn99]

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to ask everyone your facilities policy on gastric decompression in the ELBW pop birth wt less than 800g.

What size and type of OG tube (repogle vs. Anderson) does your facility use? When on suction does your policy require continuous, intermittent or a gentle aspiration of the tube every few hours or when clinical condition suggests. If your patient is placed on intermittent/continuous suction what pressures are utilized.

When a patient ELBW is admitted(mot necessarily requiring constant decompression) what size feeding tube is placed, and how often does your policy state to change the feeding tube. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

I just posted the same question in a little different terms as I didnt see your thread and am new to this site! I have been a NICU nurse for 20 years and from the time I started to now it has been standard practice for our unit to place an 8Fr OG tube to every new admit until proven not needed. This includes 4000 gm babies. If needed for decompression we would use 8F-10F replogles to low intermittant suction. I do not remember a time I used continuos suction. When transitioning to NG tube, the standard is #5 F. The setting for suction ranged from 20-40