When is tube feeding necessary

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Top of the page Actionset. Introduction Your body needs nutrition to stay strong and help you live a healthy life. A feeding tube is inserted during a surgery. After the surgery, you'll have a 6- to inch tube coming out of your belly. Foods, liquids, and medicines are given using the tube. The food is a mixture formula made up of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.

Keeping the tube clean is very important. Adjusting to using a feeding tube takes time. The first step is learning all you can about how the tube works and how to avoid problems.

Making tube feeding less of a mystery may help you make it a part of your daily life. How do you use and care for a feeding tube? Using the tube for feeding It's important that the food you use for tube feeding have the right blend of nutrients for you. Make sure that the tube-feeding formula is at room temperature. Wash your hands before you handle the tube and formula. Wash the top of the can of formula before you open it.

Follow your doctor's instructions for how much formula to use for each feeding. If using a feeding syringe: Connect the syringe to the tube, and put the formula into the syringe. Hold the syringe up high so the formula flows into the tube. Use the plunger on the syringe to gently push any remaining formula into the tube.

If using a gravity bag: Connect the bag to the tube, and add the formula to the bag. Hang the bag on a hook or pole about 18 inches above the stomach. There are some situations where enteral feeding is used as a long-term solution, such as for people with movement disorders or children with physical disabilities.

The ethics of using enteral feeding to prolong life have to be evaluated in each individual case. Enteral feeding can seem like a challenging adjustment for you or a loved one. Your doctor, nurses, a nutritionist, and home health care providers can help make this adjustment a successful one.

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This article explores whether salt is healthy or unhealthy. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Indications Types Procedure Vs. When is enteral feeding used? Types of enteral feeding. Procedure for placing the tube. Enteral vs. The procedure to place the gastric tube is typically a quick one, and may or may not require anesthesia depending on your condition. In very ill patients in intensive care, no additional sedation may be required to place the tube at the bedside.

The endoscope is a long thin instrument with a light and a camera on the end that allows the provider to watch the procedure on a monitor. Once in the stomach, it is actually possible to see the light from the scope shining through the skin of the abdomen, showing the gastroenterologist where to make the incision.

A small incision is made approximately half an inch long, through which the flexible tubing is put in place. Older G-tubes may have a balloon that keeps the tube in place.

The outside portion of the tube has a cap that allows the tube to be opened, and for food and fluids to be gently pushed through the tube into the stomach. With good tube care , the incision will close more tightly around the tube, and any leaking of food or fluid that occurs in the days immediately following the procedure should be minimized with healing.

While the incision is healing, a bandage with a slit in it is placed around the tube. This helps absorb any fluid that may leak from the site. If drainage is present and irritating the skin, a barrier ointment may be used for protection. Gently washing the site with soap and water and rinsing soap residue from the area is often all the care the site needs.

Long term, many patients require no ointment or gauze at the site, but some prefer a dressing in case there is drainage to prevent skin irritation or clothes from being soiled. The procedures for removal depend on whether it is a temporary or permanent feeding tube.

The removal of a feeding tube that is temporary is both quick and easy. It may be irritating to the delicate tissues of the mouth, throat, and nose, but this is typically minimal. To remove the tube, the tube is cleared of food and fluids, with a large syringe made for use with a feeding tube. It is then gently pulled out, taking three to five seconds to steadily be removed. If the tip of the tube is intact, demonstrating that the entire tube has been successfully removed, it is thrown away.

Surprisingly, the procedure is quick, and while there is some pain, it is typically moderate and brief. Practitioners vary in their requirements for having a tube removed; some may require you to maintain your weight for at least a month while taking all food and fluid via the G-tube, while others may require a longer period of time.

Once the decision is made to remove the tube, the tube can be pulled out, but this does require some degree of force to be used. The patient usually has a disposable towel held near the site, and the provider grasps the tube firmly and pulls steadily but firmly to remove it from the site. If there is a balloon on the inside of the stomach, it is deflated prior to removing the tube, but most types have a flange rather than a balloon and this step is not needed.

The process does typically sting, and there is a small amount of blood in some cases, but the pain passes quickly. The incision usually closes within a week of the tube being removed. The decision to place a feeding tube is not one to take lightly, it is important to discuss what kind of long-term outcome can be expected for you or your loved one.

For some patients, the tube is expected to be temporary while they recover from an illness. For other patients, the feeding tube may be expected to remain in place for the rest of their life. Whether or not this is appropriate for you or your loved one is the primary question. If you're a caregiver in a situation potentially requiring a feeding tube, you're loved one may have verbalized strong opinions on the topic, or they may have never mentioned their wishes for their long-term health care.

If you are unsure of their wishes, using your best judgment—along with the opinions of the team providing care and potentially the advice of other loved ones—will be your guide for decision-making.

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