NG feeding protocol

Make sure to keep the HOB elevated at 30 degrees.

When giving crushed meds through the NG tube, we can only give one at a time and flush after each.

When turning patient, if we need to lower the HOB, we make sure to press the hold button on the pump while turning.

Vent the tube occassionally throughtout the day because gtube's can cause alot of distress from gas......if a patient is very restless and you cant't figure out why...chances are alot of the time it's because their gtube needs to be vented....

Lots of meds can be dissolved in water without even crushing them up.....phenobarbital, and synthroid tablets dissolve beautifully in a minute, if you give simethicone it works alot better if you mix it in 30 ml of warm water.....it sounds weird but trust me...it really really works!

Dilantin doesn't crush up well if it's tablet form..it gets all oily & nasty , & sticks to the med cup....it works excellent if it sits for a few hours to dissolve & stirs right up nicely......but that obviously isn't going to work in the hospital setting......so liquid should be shaken 100times...(I was told this by a very well respected neurologist) to mix it up well to evenly distribute it or you can have problems with the patients drug levels......and never give dilantin at the same time as other meds because it truly does afftect the levels as well....it should be given alone if possible.......

Good Luck!

Don't forget to check residuals!