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| Get Comfy. |
1.
Get comfy: Be sure to be in a comfortable upright position: The g-tube user can be reclined, but should have at least a 30 degree angle.
2.
Get clean: Wash your hands and dry thoroughly. If needed, wear gloves.
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| Prepare Equipment. |
3.
Prepare equipment:
- G-tube extension tube.
- 60ml syringe.
- Small cup of lukewarm water.
- Several dishtowels.
- Food! (Slightly warmer than lukewarm.)
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| Attach Extension Tube, |
4.
Attach extension tube:
- Clamp the extension tube closed.
- Open the cap of the g-tube button.
- Attach the extension tube by matching up the black lines and twisting the tubing clockwise until you feel slight resistance.
- Be sure the medicine port is closed!
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| Check G-Tube Placement. |
5.
Check for g-tube placement:
- Attach an empty 60ml syringe (without the plunger) to the extension tube.
- Unclamp the tube.
- Wait a moment for a “burp”.
- If there is no burp (this happens quite often), re-clamp the tube and remove the syringe.
- With the syringe removed from the tubing, push the plunger into the syringe, then reattach it to the extension tube.
- Unclamp the extension tube and pull back very slightly on the plunger to check for stomach residual. If nothing appears, stop and consult the nurse or mom. Otherwise, push any residual back through the tube.
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| Begin With Water. |
6.
Begin with water:
- Clamp the extension tube closed and remove the syringe.
- Draw about 20ml of water into the syringe.
- Re-attach the syringe to the extension tube.
- Unclamp the tube, and slowly push the water into the stomach.
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| Fill Syringe. |
7.
Feeding (finally!)
- Clamp the extension tube closed and remove the syringe.
- Draw food into the syringe with the plunger.
- Re-attach the syringe to the tube.
- Unclamp the tube, and slowly push the food into the stomach, at a rate of about 5ml / 10 seconds.
- When the syringe is nearly empty, but the tube is still full of food, clamp the extension tube and re-fill the syringe. Repeat as needed to complete the meal.
Tip: Because you are feeding real food that has been blended and strained, the texture of the meals is a bit thicker and coarser than canned formula. So, the extension tubes and syringes don’t stay together very well. It works best to hold the syringe at the point it attaches to the extension tube while feeding. (Unless you like having green stuff all over the front of your shirt. And in your hair. And on the ceiling. It will happen. Just sayin’.)
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| Feed & Flush. |
8.
Flush: When the meal is complete, but the tube is still full of food, clamp the extension tube closed, and remove the syringe. Draw about 20ml lukewarm water into the syringe. Re-attach the syringe to the tube and slowly push the water into the stomach until the tubing is clear.
9.
Disconnect extension: Clamp the extension tube, and turn it counter-clockwise to match up with the line on the g-tube button. Disconnect the extension tube, and close the g-tube cap.
10.
Assess g-tube site: Check the skin around the button on the stomach, and make sure it is clean and dry. Note and report any redness.
11.
Clean up: Clean extension tubes / syringes with warm soapy water. Tubes can generally be used for a week or so; syringes for a day or two.