What kind of feeding system do you use?

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Feb 9, 2008

We use a system like this and I haven't had any problems. I think it's a good idea.

littleneoRN · Feb 9, 2008

We use a feeding extension tube that has a big orange stripe on it so that it can not be easily confused with a med line. This attaches directly to the hub on the NG and luer-locks to the feeding syringe. I like it, and I've never heard any complaints.

Imafloat, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2008

We use a special feeding system, with an orange tip on the syringe that will only lock into feeding tubing with an orange connector on it. We changed as the result of a sentinal event that JCAHO reported. Apparently, someone connected a feed to IV tubing because the luer lock fit. This event didn't happen at our hospital, I am not sure where it happened, it was just something JCAHO reported.

Sweeper933 · Feb 9, 2008

We use a special feeding system, with an orange tip on the syringe that will only lock into feeding tubing with an orange connector on it. We changed as the result of a sentinal event that JCAHO reported. Apparently, someone connected a feed to IV tubing because the luer lock fit. This event didn't happen at our hospital, I am not sure where it happened, it was just something JCAHO reported.

We also changed everything over to the "orange striped" tubing. Probably d/t that same sentinel event that occurred somewhere... We've been using this system for all of our enteral feeds, and haven't had a problem yet.

I believe that the brand of the tubing we use w/ the orange color coding is NeoDevices.

BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN · Feb 10, 2008

Thanks guys! Yes it was a sentinel event that sparked all this. Actually, up on the peds floor we had an incident of the feeding being put thru the IV...that is really scary! We have never had an issue in our unit, thankfully! We just got the budget approved for this, so we are going to be looking at them in the next few weeks.

So, they come with tubing and syringes just for that system? You can't interchange the syringes, right?

Imafloat, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2008

Thanks guys! Yes it was a sentinel event that sparked all this. Actually, up on the peds floor we had an incident of the feeding being put thru the IV...that is really scary! We have never had an issue in our unit, thankfully! We just got the budget approved for this, so we are going to be looking at them in the next few weeks.
So, they come with tubing and syringes just for that system? You can't interchange the syringes, right?

No. The tip of the syringe has an orange plastic tip on it that will only fit into the tubing with an orange adaptor that comes attached to it. The syringes come that way, the tip can't be taken off, it is attached. I actually like it better than the luer lock. The tip is tapered, so you can get the very last few drops of EBM out of a bottle. Also, the pieces fit together, without twisting. Have you ever come on shift behind Hercules, where you break the tubing tip trying to unscrew it from the syringe? That doesn't happen with this system.

Mimi2RN, ASN, RN · Feb 10, 2008

We have been told that we can no longer use extension tubing except for continuous feeds which we rarely do. We are expected to gravity feed all our tube fed babies. That doesn't work so well with 24 cal formula! For the last couple of years we have been using pumps and the enteral tubing with the orange stripe.:icon_roll

prmenrs, RN · Feb 10, 2008

We use the longer NG tube, so we don't need any extension tubing, it's long enough to reach the pump w/o anything extra. I think it's cuz we're too cheap to use any extension tubing!

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Feb 10, 2008

We also use the long feeding tubes, and plug them into standard syringes. We also use orange extension tubing with a "plug" on the end with our short 6-8fr feeding tubes. Also probably a money issue. My last place used the orange tubing, as well as special slip-tip syringes that had the tip offset to one side of the syringe so you couldn't mistake it for a regular IV syringe.

RNin2007 · Feb 11, 2008

We use a special feeding system, with an orange tip on the syringe that will only lock into feeding tubing with an orange connector on it. We changed as the result of a sentinal event that JCAHO reported. Apparently, someone connected a feed to IV tubing because the luer lock fit. This event didn't happen at our hospital, I am not sure where it happened, it was just something JCAHO reported.

Same here.....

PrudenceNurse · Feb 16, 2008

We have tubing for gavage feeding that has orange striping on it (similar to the feeding tube itself) that cannot be mistaken for medline. We also use the microbore tubing for all meds (except blood transfusions) so that makes it clear which tubing is which as well.

All of our gavage feedings are placed on a syringe pump and run in over 30 minutes. Some babies with reflux or tolerance issues have longer infusion times.