Question

The nurse is providing medications to a client who is currently receiving continuous tube feeding via gastrostomy tube. The client has a dose of phenytoin due. Which is the nurse's best course of action?

a) Administer the phenytoin through the gastrostomy tube.
b) Withhold the phenytoin until the tube feeding is complete.
c) Crush the phenytoin tablets and mix them with the tube feeding.
d) Administer the phenytoin intravenously to ensure absorption.

Answer 1

The nurse should withhold the phenytoin until the tube feeding is complete.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse's best course of action would be to withhold the phenytoin until the tube feeding is complete. Phenytoin is a drug that is not easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract into the bloodstream. Therefore, it would be more effective to administer it through a parenteral route, such as intravenous injection, when the client is not receiving continuous tube feeding via gastrostomy tube.