Peg tube water sterile vs non-sterile

misserella8036 · Oct 16, 2008

I just went thru the same thing in my lab - they said you can use tap water - but at my clinical site (rehab hospital) they use pre-filled syringes with sterile water for all the patients.

AggieNurse99, BSN, RN · Oct 16, 2008

Not to confuse the issue more, but sterile NS for irrigation is often a better choice d/t potential for fluid imbalances (water hypotonic). Work on an adult tele floor now & tap water is the enteral irrigation of choice but at peds clinicals all we used was NS flush or sterile NS unless sterile water specifically ordered by MD.

Skeetersmom119 · Sep 13, 2009

In pediatrics when giving medications through a G tube you generally use sterile water. Yet when giving adult med-surg or critical care patients medications through peg tubes I have been told that sterile water is not necessary and that tap water can be used. This grosses me out. I definitely would not drink the tap water from several hospitals I have had clinicals in, yet this is what we are putting into their stomaches... gross

I work in long term care/rehab, and I have a patient with an order for NSs flushes for her TF. She has a nocturnal feeding from 6p to 7a. At the time, she had a UTI w/ VRE in her urine. She is clear of the uti, but still has the ordered NS flush. It does make much more sense, because you don't know what is in the tap water that you are using to flush with. :yeah:

morte, LPN, LVN · Sep 13, 2009

sterile water/saline is a total waste of money. if you question the potability of the tap water get it tested.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2009

The stomach is not a sterile cavity. The acidic secretions are there as a protective measure. Go back and read the GI section of your A&P textbooks.

ElliShay · Sep 13, 2009

In pediatrics when giving medications through a G tube you generally use sterile water. Yet when giving adult med-surg or critical care patients medications through peg tubes I have been told that sterile water is not necessary and that tap water can be used. This grosses me out. I definitely would not drink the tap water from several hospitals I have had clinicals in, yet this is what we are putting into their stomaches... gross

Um... where do you think the water comes from that the ice is made from and water pitchers are filled from???

roseynurse345 · Sep 13, 2009

I was told by the MD, whose peg tube I was flushing out to use tap water because it had electrolytes and it was better choice than sterile H2O.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Sep 13, 2009

I think a lot of facilities use sterile water out of convenience. It's there as 'infant' water packaged in bottles that will accept a nipple and collar, it's there for irrigation in 250 mL or 1 L bottles... it's handy and the volume is known. Having said that, there's no reason for NOT using tap water. Many people who rely on tube feeds for all of their nutrition have a need for free water in their diet to decrease the solute load on their kidneys. How this free water is administered is a matter of physician/dietician preference, usually, but can also be a parent or caregiver preference. It's easier to mix the free water into the feed and adjust the rate accordingly than it is to squeeze it in as a bolus. And as previously stated, tap water contains electrolytes and minerals that are absent from sterile water. The only caveat here is that whatever your facility policy states is what you do.

GGT1 · Sep 13, 2009

Yeah, I don't drink tap water period but the rationale is... you GI tract is not sterile and so what goes in does not have to be sterile.

lweatherby · Sep 14, 2009

I work in a pediatric long-term facility and we flush with tap water as well as bolus with tap water as ordered.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Sep 14, 2009

Yeah, I don't drink tap water period.

You only THINK you don't. I'll bet the rent that the bottled water you're drinking is actually tap water from the locale where it's bottled. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3QBZac3MSY