Question

A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving intermittent enteral feedings every 4 hours via an NG tube. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to reduce the risk for aspiration?

a. Elevate the head of the bed to 30 degrees during and after feedings
b. Administer the feeding at a rapid rate to minimize exposure
c. Keep the client in a supine position during feedings
d. Use a small-bore NG tube for feedings

Answer 1

To minimize the risk of aspiration during NG tube feedings, the nurse should elevate the head of the bed to 30 degrees, as this uses gravity to help prevent backflow into the esophagus and lungs.

Step-by-step explanation:

To reduce the risk for aspiration in a client who is receiving intermittent enteral feedings every 4 hours via an NG tube, the nurse should take specific precautions. Among the options given, the most appropriate action to minimize this risk is to elevate the head of the bed to 30 degrees during and after feedings. Positioning in this manner utilizes gravity to prevent the backflow of enteral contents from the stomach into the esophagus and potentially into the lungs, thereby reducing the probability of aspiration.

Administering the feeding at a rapid rate can actually increase the risk of aspiration, and keeping the client in a supine position is contraindicated for this exact reason. The size of the NG tube (small-bore or large-bore) generally caters to the type of feeding or medication administration rather than the prevention of aspiration.