ADMINISTERING A TUBE FEEDING

Purpose:

 To restore or maintain nutritional status

 To administer medications

Equipment:

 Correct type and amount of feeding solution

 60-ml catheter-tip syringe
 Emesis basin

Procedure:

1. Introduce self prior to the procedure and verify client’s identity

2. Assess tube placement
 Attach the syringe to the open end of the tube and aspirate.
 Allow 1 hour to elapse before testing the pH if the client has received a medication
3. Assess residual feeding contents
 If the tube is placed in the stomach, aspirate all the contents and measure the
amount before administering the feeding.
 Reinstill the gastric contents into the stomach if this is the agency policy or primary
care provider’s order.
4. Administer the feeding
 Before administering feeding: Check the expiration date of the feeding. Warm the
feeding to room temperature.
 When an open system is used, clean the top of the feeding container with alcohol
before opening it.

Feeding Bag (Open System)

 Hang the labeled bag from an infusion pole about 30cm above the tube’s point of
insertion into the client.
 Clamp the tubing and add the formula to the bag.
 Open the clamp, run the formula through the tubing, and reclamp the tube.
 Attach the bag to the feeding tube.

Syringe (Open System)

 Remove the plunger from the syringe and connect the syringe to a pinched or
clamped nasogastric tube.
 Add the feeding to the syringe bottle.
 Permit the feeding to flow in slowly at the prescribed rate.

Prefilled Bottle with Drip Chamber (Closed System)

 Remove the screw-on cap from the container and attach the administration set with
the drip chamber and tubing.
 Close the clamp on the tubing.
 Hang the container on an intravenous pole about 30cm above the tube’s insertion
point into the client.
 Squeeze the drip chamber to fill to one-third to one-half of its capacity.
 Open the tubing clamp, run the formula through the tubing, and reclamp the tube.
 Attach the feeding set tubing to the feeding tube and regulate the drip rate to deliver
the feeding over the desired length of time or attach to a feeding pump.
5. If another bottle is not immediately hung, flush the feeding tube before all of the
formula has run through the tubing.
 Instill 50-100ml of water through the feeding tube or medication port.
 Be sure to add the water before the feeding solution has drained from the neck of a
syringe or from the tubing of an administration set.
6. Clamp the feeding tube.
 Before all of the water is instilled.
7. Ensure client’s comfort and safety.