Aloha e DU. I am tasked with recording the +/- on a percutaneous gastric feeding tube or nasogastric feeding tube

[mahina]

for a person I love who can not take any food or water by mouth for a while.

He is losing a lot of weight and has nothing but the IV solution with a little sugar and minerals in it for a week or so now.

Does anyone here have knowledge of this that you might share with me please?

Mahalo nui, thank you so very much.

ps I am reading studies on the national institute of health, one of many legacy treasures of being an American that so few of us know about. I am using the term 'reading' here very loosely as I can barely understand even the abstracts. Hence the inquiry. mahalo!

[Quakerfriend]

1. Hi! G-tube is much more comfortable.

And, placement is minimally invasive.
The IVs are only good for ~ 1 week to ten days.

[mahina]

3. Thank you! They tried inserting the NG tube and he balked

He said it was torture. 💧

Do you think the gastric tube is more comfortable at insertion or more comfortable once it’s in?

Mahalo 🌸🌸🌸

[Quakerfriend]

6. So sorry he went through that! 😩

G-tube is placed surgically & is much more comfortable once it’s in.

If he eventually regains the ability to take food & drink by mouth, the surgery is then ‘reversed’ several weeks after the tube is removed.

Please, message me if you have questions.
I’m happy to help!!

[Lunabell]

2. I'm a 33 year nurse.

I've worked with G-tubes my whole career. What knowledge can I impart?

If the percutaneous feeding will be used for a long time, there is a mikee button that lies flush to the skin, so it is less noticeable and has a lesser chance of being accidentally dislodged. And a ng tube is definitely not for the long term as it can erode nasal tissue.

[mahina]

4. Thank you!

Either would just be for the time required to repair part of this swallowing tube that has diverticuli pouches.

I don’t really know how long that is, guessing a month or so?

I really appreciate your response and your service to the people! Mahalo nui. 🤙🏼✨✨

[Lunabell]

9. Just a month?

With good oral and nasal care by the nurses, they shouldn't need a g-tube. Any longer than 6 weeks, or if there are complications or significant loss of appetite and weight loss or breakdown of nasal tissue, they may consider a percutaneous feeding.
Some ng tubes can remain in place for a month, ask the doctor or nurse. Make sure if when changing the ng tube that they alternate nostrils and do a good look-see inside the with a flashlight in the nasal cavity for tissue breakdown. It sometimes becomes dislodged and they will put another one in. Symptoms of a ng tube becoming dislodged are gagging or vomiting, difficulty breathing, stomach or chest discomfort or O2 sat decrease.

[LoisB]

5. My nurse granddaughter is unsure of your question. Which type of feeding tube does he have? Nasogastric or

percutaneous?

[mahina]

7. Thank you so much for asking. He has neither right now and as a result has had no nutrition.

Since his hospitalization almost a week ago. Prior to that he has barely been able to eat anything as food gets lodged in the pockets in his throat. He has a great deal of difficulty swallowing any food. He’s going in for a type of laparoscopic or some kind of non-cutting surgery next week, especially if he can get his condition improved, that will address the pouches in his throat and quickly aid his ability to, eat and drink.

The people at the hospital tried to insert a nasal gastric tube. He told them to stop because it was torture. He did not want it.

There is a thought among his wife and her adult children that some Valium might help him deal with the anxiety of having the tube inserted in his nose, and the thought that he would not respond well to the enterogastric PEG thing.

I don’t even know if the Entero gastric tube thing involves having a stoma bag as well? Does having the PEG mean he would also have to deal with the bag to collect urine and solids?

There is a difference of opinion among adult children of his close family members, as to whether he would better tolerate one or the other. I don’t know anything about any of this stuff. He asked me to put together a chart of the pluses and minuses of each so that he could decide as he would like to have agency in decision-making as he is able to make his own health decisions. Everyone has the best intentions.

You’re very kind to take the time to respond and Aloha and gratitude to your granddaughter. I realize this request is leaning awfully hard on DU. Google is not being very helpful at the moment. With gratitude!

[LoisB]

8. I have had both a nasogastric tube and a percutaneous gastric tube (at different times). My personal opinion is

that I would opt for the percutaneous gastrostomy tube. I would think since he has trouble swallowing, the naso wouldn't even be an option. A PEG does not require use of a bag to collect liquid or solid waste.

I wish your friend well. You are a good friend to help him and his family.

[Lunabell]

10. His stools and urine will be as usual.

The peg or button if he chooses may be better if he can't stand a NG tube. You can just tuck the tube away and at feeding time, untuck and use a 60cc syringe to pour in the formula. Since he is of sound mind, he can be taught to do the procedure and the extended family should be taught too.

Tha mikee button lies flush to the skin. There is a small plug attached that keeps the formula from leaking out. You use an extension tube that clicks in to place and once you have poured in the formula, you click it out and put the little plug in. Some people like this better because it's less noticeable. No long tube to deal with.

Just a little FYI though, not all people react well to a G-button or tube. I had a client who found it uncomfortable and always had granulation tissue in the stoma. (hole) Granulation tissue is red, bloody tissue where the body is trying to heal the stoma but it can't because the tube prevents healing. This happens in a very small amount of people, but it is one of the risks. Most people have healed tissue around the stoma and there are no problems.

Granulation tissue is not really a bad thing, but you have to be more careful it does not become infected and you may have bloody drainage from the stoma. The doctor may consider cauterizing the tissue with silver nitrate. But, as I said, it is a rare problem, but it can occur.

Best wishes and please inbox me for any other questions or concerns as they arrive. I'm happy to help.

[mahina]

12. Thank so so so very much!

🌸🌸🌸

[a kennedy]

11. The brochures I receive daily??? I start to read them, and I swear after the first 10 pages.....

I’m like a zombie......do the companies do that on purpose??? I start getting blurry, sick to my stomach, I dang near pass out and i’m only on page 10, of a damn near 35 page brochure.