Enteral Feeding

Enteral Feeding - From Excelsior College Flash Cards - 2005

1. Complies with established guidelines
2. For all feedings:
• selects the prescribed feeding
• positions the patient to promote feeding
• delivers the prescribed feeding
3. When assistance with feeding is designated:
• chooses an appropriate feeding device
• burps an infant under 6 months of age periodically as necessary
4. Administers the feeding at room temperature unless otherwise designated
5. When intermittent tube feeding is designated
• determines the amount of feeding to be administered
• calculates the drops per minute
• verifies the location of a nasogastric feeding, unless contraindicated by
• aspirating gastric contents and
• instilling 10-20 ml of air into the stomach while auscultating (5 ml for children under 2 years of age)
• measures gastric residual before initiating feeding
• reinstills gastric residual unless contraindicated
• initiates the prescribed feeding within +/- 30 minutes of scheduled time
• regulates the feeding rate to be delivered within the specified time when required by either
• adjusting the flow rate to within +/- 5 gtts/min of the calculated number of gtts or
• adjusting the flow rate of the enteral feeding pump to the exact number required to deliver the prescribed volume
6. When continuous tube feeding is designated:
• Within twenty minutes after beginning the Implementation Phase
• Verifies the accuracy of the flow rate by either
• counting the gtts/min currently flowing or
• documenting the flow rate setting on the enteral feeding pump on the PCS Recording Form
• Regulates the flow rate when required by either
• adjusting the flow to within +/- 5 gtts/min of the calculated number of gtts/min or
• adjusting the flow rate of the enteral feeding pump to the exact number required to deliver the prescribed volume
• Verifies the location of the nasogastric tube at least once during the PCS by the following methods, unless contraindicated by
• aspirating gastric contents AND
• instilling 10 - 20 ml of air into the stomach while auscultating (5 ml for children under 2 years of age)
• When measurement of gastric residual is designated
• measures gastric residual
• reinstills gastric residual unless contraindicated
• determines the amount of feeding to be administered
7. Records the kind of oral feeding administered
8. Records name and strength of the feeding product for a patient receiving a tube feeding
9. Records the amount of feeding administered

Mneumonic

RAT FEVER

Record
Amount of formula AND
Type of formula
Fowler's position to receive tube feeding
Examine gastric tube/abdomen
Verify placement - Verify G-Tube placement by aspirating gastric contents OR instilling 20 cc air bolus and listenting
Expiration date of formula
Record rate in 20 MINUTES!! - a pt theat has running tube feeding IS PART OF YOUR 20 MINUTE CHECKS!