What is an appropriate amount of nasogastric irrigant for an ...

[ap345]

What is an appropriate amount of nasogastric irrigant for an adult patient?
 
  a. 1 or 2 mL
  b. 30 mL
  c. 5 to 15 mL
  d. 250 mL

Question 2

Which evaluation indicates that placement of a nasogastric or enteric tube is correct?
 
  a. Nasointestinal aspirate with a pH of less than 6
  b. Pleural fluid pH of less than 6
  c. Gastric aspirate with a pH of 5 or less after patient fasting
  d. Gastric aspirate with a pH of 4 and continuous tube feedings

[bdobbins]

Answer to Question 1

B
Draw up 30 mL of normal saline or tap water in a syringe. This amount of solution will flush the length of the tube. Irrigation of a tube requires a smaller volume of solution in children: 1 to 2 mL for small tubes to 5 to 15 mL or more for large ones.

Answer to Question 2

C
Gastric fluid from a patient who has fasted for at least 4 hours usually has a pH of 5 or less.
Fluid from an enteric tube of a fasting patient usually has a pH greater than 6 . The pH of pleural fluid from the tracheobronchial tree is generally greater than 6 . Patients with continuous tube feeding may have a pH of 5 or greater.

[ap345]

Gracias!

[kjohnson]

Excellent