GT med administration question?????please help

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if the patient is on g-tube and the feeding is running and the nurse is about to give meds to that patient so the nurse held the feeding and gave meds ..so my question is can the nurse start feeding right after giving meds

(via g-tube?) or do we have to wait for some time?????

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Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.

yes resume feeding. no need to hold it unless your residual is > 50 ml. if residual is >100 ml, i will hold and inform md.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

I always flush with a small amount of water to ensure that all meds are in the stomach. But yes, you can resume TF's. Like said above, hold if residual is greater than 50.

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I always flush with a small amount of water to ensure that all meds are in the stomach. But yes, you can resume TF's. Like said above, hold if residual is greater than 50.

do we have to inform the doctor is residual is more than 100ml? i thought we just hold it and check later if it is same and if it is less then we can start feeding again.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

You can just continue the feed after meds.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
do we have to inform the doctor is residual is more than 100ml? i thought we just hold it and check later if it is same and if it is less then we can start feeding again.

It depends on the patient's specific tube feeding orders and/or facility protocol. Our usual protocol to hold is residual of at least 150. Whether or not you call the MD will vary for each situation.

It is ok to restart the feeding right away, if there are no residual issues. It's not the same as, say, clamping an NG for 30-60 after giving meds through it, since those are to suction. Think of it this way: a person can eat and drink right after taking pills. It's comparable to that.

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.

I've always started the feeding back up immediately after flushing, unless residual was too high or whatnot; however, I have a patient who gets Dilantin via PEG and has a specific order stating that his tube feeds must be held an hour before and an hour after the Dilantin is administered. I've never heard anything like that before now. Does anyone else have experience with this?

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The only time you hold the tube feed is if you have a med that should be on an empty stomach or you have a good bit of residual.

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Specializes in MED/SURG STROKE UNIT, LTC SUPER., IMU.
I've always started the feeding back up immediately after flushing, unless residual was too high or whatnot; however, I have a patient who gets Dilantin via PEG and has a specific order stating that his tube feeds must be held an hour before and an hour after the Dilantin is administered. I've never heard anything like that before now. Does anyone else have experience with this?

Yes, Dilantin is the only med that I have had experience with that you hold the feeding before and after for an hour. I believe it has something to do with giving it on an empty stomach, but I haven't looked it up for a while. It should say in your drug guide. Otherwise, I put the machine on hold while I check for placement and residuals, give the med, flush with water and then restart the feeding.

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Specializes in cardiothoracic surgery.

Coumadin and lansoprazole are two more meds where the tube feeding should be held one hour before and one hour after.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.

With dilantin, I hold the tube feeds at least 30 before and after then resume tube feedings.

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