NG tube suction and feeding?

[spaulson1, BSN, RN]

Hi, this may seem like a dumb question but it's the first time this has come up for me. If you have a patient on NG tube LIS can you also have them on NG tube feeds at the same time? I had a patient that had two NG tubes in the same nostril.  One was a keofeed for tube feeds/meds and another was for suction? (Salem slump NG). I asked the night shift nurse this and they weren't sure. If they're on LIS won't the tube feeds just be sectioned out? If they are on continuous feeds? I know for meds you clamp the suction for 30 minutes to an hour after but how would that work for continuous tube feeds? Another nurse was saying we could use the keofeed tube for sectioning as well just hook up one of the purple syringes (that's compatible with it) and then attach the end of it to the suction tubing. But that still doesn't solve the problem of the suction and tube feeds at same time issue. 

Thanks for your help. 

 

[dianah, ASN]

Likely the keofeed tube's weighted end is positioned in the small intestine, while the NG tube is positioned in the stomach.  So yes, the stomach may be kept empty via suction to the NG tube, while the patient may still receive nutrients in the small intestine, via the keofeed tube.  You may have to read some of the MD  (patient's diagnosis and notes made around the time the tubes were placed) to confirm this.

[Wuzzie]

Your patient had 2 different types of tubes. The Salem sump was a nasogastric tube. The Keofeed was a nasojejunal tube. The NJ tube terminates past the pyloric valve feeding directly into the jejunum not the stomach. The NG tube terminates in the stomach. The purpose of the NG to suction is to decompress the stomach. Because it stops before the pyloric valve it will not suction out the tube feeds. The nurse who told you the Keofeed tube can be placed to suction is incorrect and frankly a little scary.