How do you administer medication through an enteral tube?
How to Safely Administer Medication Through a Feeding Tube
- Administer each medication separately.
- Stop the feeding and flush the tube with water before and after medication administration.
- Crush only those medications which are immediate-release.
- Use liquid medications when available.
When administering medicines via an enteral feeding tube you must do which of the following?
Consent to administer If medicines given via a tube are also given covertly, you must record this. You must have a process for documenting these decisions taken, in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
What should the nurse do before giving medications via an enteral tube?
Nurses who are preparing and administrating medication via an enteral tube must adhere to the Medication Management Procedure. Do not administer drugs through tubes used for aspiration or on free drainage unless specifically directed by medical staff.
What are the four enteral routes of administration?
Enteral administration involves the esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestines (i.e., the gastrointestinal tract). Methods of administration include oral, sublingual (dissolving the drug under the tongue), and rectal. Parenteral administration is via a peripheral or central vein.
What are nursing considerations when administering an enteral feeding?
When beginning enteral feedings, monitor the patient for feeding tolerance. Assess the abdomen by auscultating for bowel sounds and palpating for rigidity, distention, and tenderness. Know that patients who complain of fullness or nausea after a feeding starts may have higher a GRV.
What is the most appropriate position to place a patient in to administer medications via a peg or NG tube?
Prior to and after feeds nurses should adequately flush the enteral tube. Position: Lying prone/supine during feeding increases the risk of aspiration and therefore where clinically possible the child should be placed in an upright position.
Is sublingual enteral?
Enteral administration involves the esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestines (i.e., the gastrointestinal tract). Methods of administration include oral, sublingual (dissolving the drug under the tongue), and rectal.
What are the concerns during medication administration through feeding tubes?
OVERVIEW. Guidelines for the safe administration of drugs through an enteral feeding tube are available, but research shows that often nurses don’t adhere to them. This can lead to medication error and tube obstruction, reduced drug effectiveness, and an increased risk of toxicity.
Can you give immediate release pills through an enteral feeding tube?
Health care practitioners should not assume that a medication intended to be taken by mouth can be safely administered through a feeding tube. The drug’s physical and chemical properties control its release and subsequent absorption.
What are the six rights of medication?
The six rights of medication administration. The six rights of medication administration are the right medication, the right dose, the right patient, the right route, the right time and the right documentation.
How enteral nutrition or tube feeding is used for patients?
Tube feeding is a therapy where a feeding tube supplies nutrients to people who cannot get enough nutrition through eating. A flexible tube is inserted through the nose or belly area to provide nutrients by delivering liquid nutrition directly into the stomach or small intestine. Doctors usually insert the tube while you are in the hospital, but you may continue to use it outside the hospital, at home, or in a nursing facility.
What is PEG tube medication?
PEG tubes are placed with the aid of an endoscope , an instrument to see inside your stomach and intestines. The patient receives sedatives and pain medications to make them comfortable. After confirming proper location and preparing the abdominal wall, a small incision is made in the abdomen.