OG Tubes..

[NICUmiiki]

How do you tape them?

I've seen several different methods, but in my unit, the most common way is in a fashion that causes the tube to stick straight out of the baby's mouth. I find little fingers wrapped around the tube ready to jerk it out because the tube is right in the path of their hands when they start waving around.

[rnkaytee]

I'd really have to see some evidence to back this concern up - is she thinking the tape is wrapping across the entire chin and sides of the jaw? (Like the old toothache wraps in cartoons)? Plus (this is a bit of a tangent) but everything we do in the NICU has some negative effect - if you put it on the side you run the risk of it not staying in the correct position and the belly will fill with air (plus who knows where the milk ends up). If you tape it like an ET you run the risk of it digging into the side of the mouth (which I have seen in real life and it's not pretty). The tube has to stay in somehow!

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

These tubes aren't like the old ones that were very stiff and big. I asked our OT about the mandible idea and she said it doesn't interfere with much, and we change to ng when we begin

PO feeds.

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

It wasn't my preceptor's opinion. It is a unit wide thing. I tried to search for any evidence (just a little, I got busy), and the only thing I found was instructions to tape it upward on the cheek (but not prohibiting other methods of taping). I don't really want to come across as 'Tell me why I can't do this,' so I'll keep searching.

[denicu]

How do you tape them?

I've seen several different methods, but in my unit, the most common way is in a fashion that causes the tube to stick straight out of the baby's mouth. I find little fingers wrapped around the tube ready to jerk it out because the tube is right in the path of their hands when they start waving around.

I am use to taping it on the chin but on a recent travel assignment I was floated to peds from the NICU and a new order during handoff was to insert og tube. Well I forgot that at this institution they taped their og tube as described as above and I taped it on the chin. You would have thought I made a med error-the(Peds) charge nurse called down to the NICU to report what I did. Of course follow up x-ray confirmed correct placement but it didnt matter-it was not taped their way.