NG Tube suction

[PLDavidson]

I have read you use tap water to irrigate NG tube, but have also read you should use sterile water. However, I took my ATI practice test and it reads this, "0.9% sodium chloride - rationale: 0.9% sodium chloride is an isotonic solution that would be least likely to cause electrolyte imbalance"

sterile water and tap water, neither is not isotonic and can lead to electrolyte imbalance.

I found this interesting and wondered what everyone else has learned, read, or is actually practicing in the real world of nursing.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Think about it this way: what do people prefer to drink, tap water or saline? I don't get the whole rationale for saline unless one is irrigating with copious amounts; it's not going into the vascular system but the GI system, which is the normal route for drinking water. My facility uses bottles of sterile water for irrigation, to be changed every 24 hours. However, I think that has much more to do with an infection control practice while in the hospital than sterile water being necessary.

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

I think it depends on where you are, but I haven't seen anyone use NS in any of my clinical settings. Some use sterile water, some use tap water.

[Loo17]

I have always used tap water

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Think about it this way: what do people prefer to drink, tap water or saline? I don't get the whole rationale for saline unless one is irrigating with copious amounts; it's not going into the vascular system but the GI system, which is the normal route for drinking water. My facility uses bottles of sterile water for irrigation, to be changed every 24 hours. However, I think that has much more to do with an infection control practice while in the hospital than sterile water being necessary.

No, it has nothing to do with drinking to satisfy thirst (which you do when you are dehydrated, i.e., your serum sodium is up because you have lost water). Most people with NG tubes, not feeding tubes, are using Salem sumps for suction. It isn't injected directly into the vascular system, like an IV, but it does diffuse into it through the gastric mucosa (water diffuses, saline doesn't) and can cause electrolyte imbalances once it does.