Question

Before performing a gavage feeding, the nurse should:

a. hold the feeding tube under water to check for bubbling.
b. check for gastric distention.
c. aspirate stomach contents.
d. ensure sterility of feeding equipment.

Answer 1

Before performing a gavage feeding, the nurse should ensure the sterility of feeding equipment to prevent infections and maintain patient safety. The correct option is D.

Step-by-step explanation:

Before performing a gavage feeding, the nurse should ensure sterility of feeding equipment. Ensuring the sterility of feeding equipment is crucial in preventing infections and maintaining patient safety. While aspirating stomach contents can be a part of the pre-feeding assessment, this typically happens after confirming the sterility and proper function of the equipment.

As gavage feeding involves inserting a tube directly into the stomach, using sterile tools is imperative. Steps such as passing the opening of the tube or bottle briefly through a flame before the transfer process are important in maintaining a sterile environment which is essential to prevent the introduction of pathogens.