Patient education: How to care for a nasogastric tube (The Basics)

What is a nasogastric tube? — A nasogastric, or "NG," tube is a type of feeding tube. You might need an NG tube if you cannot get enough nutrition from eating and drinking by mouth. It lets you feed yourself liquid food or formula through a flexible, plastic tube. This liquid food has all of the nutrients you need. You might also use the tube to give yourself medicines.

The tube is inserted through 1 of your nostrils and guided down into your stomach (figure 1). In some cases, the tube goes beyond the stomach and into the intestine. When this happens, it is called a "postpyloric" tube.

How do I use an NG tube to feed myself? — Your doctor or nurse will talk to you about the exact amount and kind of liquid food or formula to give yourself, and show you how to give it. Follow your doctor's or nurse's instructions.

How do I care for myself at home? — Ask the doctor or nurse what you should do when you go home. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to care for yourself. Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

Before you go home, your doctor or nurse will show you how to care for the NG tube. This includes how to keep it clean, make sure that it is secure, and check that it is in the right place and working correctly.

To keep the tube clean, use a syringe to flush it out. To do this:

●Wash your hands before and after touching the tube. Make sure that the tube doesn't touch anything else when you attach and detach the syringe.

●Using a syringe filled with warm water, flush the tube 4 times a day. This helps to keep it from getting clogged.

●Carefully clean your nose around where the tube goes in, and clean the outside of the tube. Use mild soap and water.

●Ask your doctor if it is OK to reuse the feeding supplies. If so, wash them well in warm, soapy water. Let air dry.

To make sure that the tube is secure and in the right place:

●Make sure that the tube is taped in place on your nose or cheek – Check that it is still taped in the same place before each feeding.

●Do not push or pull on the tube – Place a mark on the tube right where it comes out of your nose to make sure that it is not pulled out or pushed in. The NG tube might come with markings already on it.

●Measure the pH of your stomach contents, if you were told to do this – This is a way to confirm that your tube is in the right place. To do this, use a syringe to draw back a small amount of stomach fluid from the tube. Place a drop of the fluid on a special test strip to check the pH level. Usually, the pH should be between 0 and 5.5. If the pH is higher than 5.5, call your doctor before you put anything into the feeding tube.

●Check the side of your nose with the tube for signs of infection – This includes redness, sores, green or yellow drainage, or dryness.

When should I call the doctor? — Call for advice if:

●The tube gets clogged – Do not try to use a wire or anything else to remove a clog in the tube without talking to your doctor. They might give you a special medicine or a plastic brush to unclog the tube.

●The NG tube comes out accidentally.

●You have signs of an infection, like:

•Trouble breathing

•Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher

•Shortness of breath or coughing

•Skin color changes to blue or gray

More on this topic

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