NGT and air?

[Tiggy]

I been worrying myself sick since I let quite abit of air go down my NGT, due to a faulty feeding pump, I informed the doctor and she laughed and said I could let as much air as I liked go down just because it would pass through, not that I would but what effect would this have on my patient and why can you never draw back from NJ Tubes?

thanks anyone x

[GeminiTwinRN, BSN]

I guess you're really asking 2 questions, if I'm reading this right.

Air in an NGT isn't a problem because it's just like swallowing air. The person might have a bit of bloating if it was a terrible lot of air, but I doubt it since you're probably talking about a foot of air in a feeding tube. Just think about how much air you swallow on a daily basis while eating and drinking and talking, etc.

As far as drawing back on an NJ tube, that tube is going into the jejunum and not the stomach. You don't check for residuals when the tube is placed there because there won't be any. The jejunum is part of the small intestine and comes after the stomach, therefore no need to draw back.

:)

[Tornadochaser]

Yeah I agree. Air in an NG is pretty much a comfort issue. IF you think a pt is bloated, you can open it up with the syringe, hold it high and lightly press on the stomach to "burp" it. Be careful though because if there is alot of pressure down there you could have a mess.

[leslie :-D]

it seems to be a long, lost art, but rectal tubes are blessings to our bloated pts.

leslie