Feeding through a tube at home after a crash
A registered dietitian and an enteral care nurse on feeding and solving problems
After a crash, you may need a feeding tube if swallowing isn’t safe or it’s hard to eat enough. A tube can go in through the nose or through the belly. The route makes a difference, since the care and replacement steps differ. A dietitian sets your plan for food and fluids. An enteral care nurse, who focuses on tube feeding, teaches you how to give feeds safely. [1]
Get every detail in writing
Ask for the name of your tube and your feeding product. Get the amount, schedule and water flushes written down. Ask how to give each of your medicines too. Find out which medicines must not be crushed or mixed with formula. Have the team watch you and your helper prepare a feed, hook it up, flush the tube and clean the equipment. Know how to order supplies and who to call if a delivery runs late. [1]
Make daily care easier to manage
Stay in the body position you were taught during feeds and for the set time afterward. If your tube goes through the belly, keep the skin around it clean. Check it for redness, leaking or pain. Keep up with mouth care even if you take nothing by mouth. Track feeds and fluids if your team asks you to. Tell the dietitian about nausea, diarrhea, constipation or unexpected weight changes so the plan can be changed. [1]
When to stop and call for help
Stop the feed and get urgent advice if the tube seems to have moved. Do the same if feeding makes you cough or have trouble breathing, or if fluid leaks in an unusual way. Never use a sharp object to force open a clogged tube. Don’t replace a tube unless you were trained to and told to do it. Severe trouble breathing needs emergency care. [1]
Ask your feeding team
- What kind of tube do I have, and how do I check that it’s in the right place?
- What’s my schedule for feeds, flushes and medicines?
- Who handles problems at night or on weekends?
Practice a full feed before discharge
Keep your written feeding schedule next to your supplies. Before you leave the hospital, do one full feed while a trained member of your care team watches. [1]
Sources and further reading
For general education only, from a dietetics and enteral nursing perspective. Tube types and instructions differ from person to person. If a tube has moved out of place, put nothing through it until your care team says it’s safe.
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