PEG feeds

Published

Specializes in nursing home care.

Dont know if anyone will understand what I mean here but I give it a try! When priming the tube for PEG feeds (enteral feeding) do you use the machine or gravity? I have always hung the bag up, opened the valve and let the feed flow through to the end of the tube before hooking it up to the machine for delivery as that is how I was taught and every other home has worked it. In my new home, they have been told to attach the bag of feed to the tubing and attach to the machine on a high flow rate to prime the tube with feed. Their way takes way longer than my own but apparently they do it via the machine because the manager told them it was quicker???:uhoh3:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatric and now peds!!!!.

I always run the formua through the line before attaching the line to the patient. That is what I was taught in school.

Wendy

LPN

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

It really depends on the pump you are using as to which method of priming is the best. Yes, you prime the tubing before connecting to the patient in order to prevent the air from going in which will cause gas. Some pumps reccomend priming the tube and then putting in the pump, some pumps recommend putting the new tubing in the pump and then using the pump to prime. Other pumps really don't have a recommendation one way or the other. The pump you use should have a manual or a phone number to call. Try looking it up to see what the manufacturer says

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in nursing home care.

Does it make any difference though? The pump is the same as previous ones I have used so i have continued doing it my way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Dont know if anyone will understand what I mean here but I give it a try! When priming the tube for PEG feeds (enteral feeding) do you use the machine or gravity? I have always hung the bag up, opened the valve and let the feed flow through to the end of the tube before hooking it up to the machine for delivery as that is how I was taught and every other home has worked it. In my new home, they have been told to attach the bag of feed to the tubing and attach to the machine on a high flow rate to prime the tube with feed. Their way takes way longer than my own but apparently they do it via the machine because the manager told them it was quicker???:uhoh3:
I prime through the tubing before I put it through the pump.I would NOT prime it through the pump at the highest rate.It does take longer but that also leaves alot of room for error....Suppose you get distracted and re-program the wrong rate? I would NOT do it-that's just plain dumb.
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Home ,Dementia Care,Neurology..

I prime by gravity then attach and set rate.Saves air bubbles getting in and causing discomfort and ,as another poster said,saves accidentally setting it at wrong rate if you get distracted.Have you actually pointed out to your manager that it takes longer the other way?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I prime with gravity, but some nurses on my unit use the pump. They don't change the flow rate, so it does take longer, but sometimes they do other things while waiting. Of course if you forget it is on, you can create a nice mess on the floor.

Check and see if you have a policy on this.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

Doesnt really make sense to me to prime it using the pump. When you prime your iv tubing, you do it by gravity. Same with feeding tubes. It doesnt take a long time anyway so why bother?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

I always do it by hand because the pump takes too long even on a high setting. However, it is entirely up to you which way you decide to do it- the end result is the same.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

You have to go by your facility policy as always. We always prime the tubing by gravity since it is much quicker.

I'll never forget one nurse I worked with. She was a relatively new grad and we had just gotten a new patient who was on a tube feed. We had the bags and the formula but no pump. The doc wanted the feeding to start right away so I told her to hang the bag. She looked at me like I had 3 heads..."It won't work without a pump," she said. "Of course it will," I replied. "Gravity works"...apparently she hadn't ever heard about Sir Isaac Newton and the famous apple....oh, I felt really old that day....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

Actually, the type of tubing we have does not work without the pump. There is a section of the tubing that stretches when you put it into the pump that opens a one-way valve and allows the feeds to flow. Unless you stood there stretching the tubing by hand there is no way the feeds would go anywhere.

Maybe she was thinking of this type of tubing/pump.....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Actually, the type of tubing we have does not work without the pump. There is a section of the tubing that stretches when you put it into the pump that opens a one-way valve and allows the feeds to flow. Unless you stood there stretching the tubing by hand there is no way the feeds would go anywhere.

Maybe she was thinking of this type of tubing/pump.....

That's the type of tubing I'm familiar with-we just put the chamber in the pump and then hold the tubing down to stretch it open...
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion