Gastric Tube tricks no clogging

[kgreentelern]

Anyone ever heard of mixing your crushed medications for gastric tube administration with a pinch of applesauce prior to diluting with water?

[Castiela]

Wouldn't that cause the meds to clump up more? I sometimes dissolve the crushed meds in warm water when I have a patient with a corpak and make sure I flush the tube really well.

[CCRN2BE]

I agree with the pp, I think the thicker the concoction the more likely to clog.

A trick we sometimes use if a corpak is sluggish or clogged is to attempt to irrigate with a small amount of a carbonated drink, i.e. ginger ale. Of course, this is after the fact and used before more aggressive measures.

[CCRN2BE]

OP, do you know the rational for the applesauce, as in how it works? Just curious. I'm all for (safe) tricks to stay efficient.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

I also think applesauce would make things worse.

[lindseylpn]

I once worked with a nurse that did this. She had no rational why she did it other than it was a "trick" someone showed her.

[NuGuyNurse2b]

we use cranberry juice.

[neuron]

when you mix crushed meds with applesauce (if anyone has noticed), it makes the clumpy medications a nice thinner/smoother consistency when other thick substances (pudding) doesn't. I wonder if the applesauce thing would work.

[chris21sn, BSN, RN]

I mix it with warm water, flush after and before. Another trick is pinching it downward, and pulling at the clumps. Sometimes I get carbonated drinks -- ginger ale --- and sometimes hot water. Another trick I found out is to get the irrigation system and pull back, all the while pressing down on the tube and squeezing at the clumps, and then push forward. I feel like this method is the method I do most and usually is what works the best.