What 3 routine checks are required of a nasogastric tube when it is already in a patient?

[karenbee8]

I have an assignment and i figured that you need to check whether the tube hasn't moved anywhere. Another is if the tape is secured. But i'm struggling to work out another check

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

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[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

Threads merged.

[ThePsychWhisperer, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP]

I have an assignment and i figured that you need to check whether the tube hasn't moved anywhere. Another is if the tape is secured. But i'm struggling to work out another check

To check NG tube placement, attach a Toomey syringe to the end of the tube and aspirate vigorously. If the patient begins to turn blue, the tube is probably in the wrong spot.

Now for the serious part of my answer. In the last ED I worked in, we didn't have Litmus paper, so we were unable to check the pH of aspirated contents. This is one of the ways you can check proper placement, although it is possible to retrieve gastric secretions when you are in the lower portion of the esophagus as opposed to the stomach. Even though it may not be EBP, I still auscultate the stomach while pushing a small amount of air through the NG tube. If I hear the "whoosh," I go ahead and secure the tube and call for a stat CXR (the gold standard) to verify placement. Even with the Litmus test or auscultation, I never hook up suction or push anything but air through the tube until the result of the CXR comes back.