Important Care Instructions for Tube Feeding at Home

IMPORTANT CARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR TUBE FEEDING AT HOME WHAT YOU SHOULD DO TO HELP PREVENT INFECTION 1. Proper site cleaning Wash your hands. Why it’s important Gather the materials you need to clean the tube site: soap, to practice good care cotton-tipped swabs, washcloth, towel, and warm water. and maintenance of your feeding tube: Wash and clean skin around the skin disk or external hub • Improper care may with a washcloth, soap, and water. lead to infection. • Infections can cause Clean under the skin disk or external hub with a cotton-tipped interruptions in swab, soap, and water. feeding and may keep you from getting the Rinse the skin around the tube with warm water and dry nutrition you need. completely with a towel. If your doctor or nurse instructed you to use a dressing, apply it as directed. It is important to change your dressing every day. If it becomes wet or soiled, it should be changed immediately. 2. Ensure proper tube placement For G-Tubes For J-Tubes If your G-Tube is kept in Often, your J-tube will be place with a skin disk, make secured with sutures to sure the disk is not tight your skin. against the skin. Check Do not attempt to turn the the tube position using the J-tube or move it in or out. markings on the tube. Inspect G-tube and J-tube for correct positioning, and check that there is no redness or drainage at the insertion site.

3. What to do if the feeding tube comes out of place If the feeding tube is out of place, tape it to the abdominal Emotionally Adjusting to wall and call your doctor. If they do not respond, do not use Tube Feeding the tube and seek immediate medical attention. Getting used to your feeding tube will take time, but it’s 4. Practice good oral hygiene important to remember that you can still do many of the You might not be able to eat or drink, but good mouth care is things you always enjoyed. still important. With time and patience, tube feeding can become an • Brush your teeth, gums, and tongue with a toothbrush and ordinary part of your day. a small amount of toothpaste at least twice a day. • If your mouth or lips are dry, ask your health care provider to recommend a lip balm or moisturizer. 5. Call your doctor or nurse if you experience: • Blood in or around the feeding tube Visit www.Oley.org to read • Leaking around the tube site inspiring stories about people who • Red, sore, or swollen skin near the tube site have successfully integrated tube • Inability to infuse tube feedings, medications, or water feeding into their lives. through your feeding tube • Unusual, excessive, or foul smelling drainage from the tube insertion/stoma site Additional comments Call 1-800-776-OLEY (6359) or visit Oley.org for more information about tube feeding. Abott is a supporter of the Oley Foundation. This material has undergone review and approval by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN). This guidance does not constitute medical or other professional advice and should not be taken as such. To the extent that the information published herein may be used to assist in the care of patients, this is the result of the sole professional judgment of the attending health care professional whose judgment is the primary component of quality medical care. The information presented in these recommendations is not a substitute for the exercise of such judgment by the health care professional. Circumstances in clinical settings and patient indications may require actions different from the guidance in this document. In those cases, the judgment of the treating professional should prevail. Follow instructions from the manufacturer of the feeding set. ©2022 Abbott 202212138/November 2022 LITHO IN USA