An alert patient requires a nasogastric (NG) tube for abdominal decompression. The tube is placed to the appropriate depth, but the nurse is unable to hear a rush of air when auscultating over the patient’s stomach and cannot aspirate gastric contents for pH testing. Which of the following is the most appropriate next course of action?

Ask the patient to speak. An improperly placed NG tube may be in the trachea, which can be easily determined without re-positioning the tube. If the patient will be unable to produce sound when asked to speak, the tube has been advanced past the vocal cords. After this initial test, the next best approach is to change the position of the tubing then try again, as the tube may be in the patient’s esophagus or duodenum). If these initial techniques are unsuccessful, a chest x-ray may be helpful to determine the location of the tube.

An alert patient requires a nasogastric (NG) tube for abdominal d...

Category: Reduction of Risk Potential
Difficulty: 5

Topics: Gastrointestinal Respiratory Routes of Administration

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