Question from a new nurse

[Cinnamongirl]

This might be a dumb question ,but I am a new nurse and I can't find the answer to this question elsewhere. If someone has a g-tube after surgery for a bowel obstruction, is it temporary until the bowel starts working? The pt. did not have a n/g tube, only a g-tube, and was recieving nurtrition via TPN. So I understand that the purpose of the g-tube is to drain any gastric juices, but is it temporary or permanent?

Thanks-

[ebear, BSN, RN]

Don't know what was involved with the bowel obstruction. What was the obstruction due to? (That info should be on the post-operative report of the surgeon.)

[ktwlpn, LPN]

This might be a dumb question ,but I am a new nurse and I can't find the answer to this question elsewhere. If someone has a g-tube after surgery for a bowel obstruction, is it temporary until the bowel starts working? The pt. did not have a n/g tube, only a g-tube, and was recieving nurtrition via TPN. So I understand that the purpose of the g-tube is to drain any gastric juices, but is it temporary or permanent?

Thanks-

Usually temporary in my experience....Usually they'll have an n/g tube to suction-if the have a peg or g tube already it can be placed to suction...They'll have TPN/IV fluids until they can tolerate P.O. Getting OOB and ambulating asap is the quickest way to wake up that GI tract..