gavage feeds

[kmaryniak]

Just curious what everyone did out there, for feeding their babes gavage feeds. The hospital I'm at now is very different than the one I came from in Canada. Do you guys use OGs, or NGs? And, when you're feeding, do you sit at the bedside and hold the gavage? Do you hang it, and sit at the bedside? Or, does everyone hang their feeds at the same time, and walk away? I'm really curious what most hospitals' practice is, so please let me know. Thanks!

[KRVRN, BSN, RN]

Hmm, tape wouldn't be very nice.

[magRN]

We use all silastic tubes....generally first oral tubes because of different vent support is used. Ussually gastic feeding sometimes dued. feeds. As babes get older we have this protocol and now place NG 5f tubes they stay even as a babe progresses on oral feeds. If a baby can not take the total 2 hour volume they are given the rest by NG over 30 mins (we put the feeding on a pump). We have guidelines for progression of oral feeds brst ,bottle, or cup...babys are given a feeding score through this guideline....and If a baby can take a 3 hour volume orally we than go to every three hour feedings.

[Heather333]

We never feed the babies at the same time. They are all at least 30 minutes apart. We sit at the bedside w/ each feeding and don't hang them. We use 5F on micro preemies and change Q3 days. Others we use a 6F OG or NG and change Q3 days. If on NCPAP, most get an 8F OG open to air between feedings. If we use a silastic, it gets change Q30 days. I have noticed that those tubes tend to get clogged up after a while. If we have a baby that tends to pull out OG/NG tubes, we use Snuggle-Up's in our unit. We usually just swaddle them so they can get their littles hands to the tube.

Heather