Question

The nurse is assisting a health care provider (HCP) with the insertion of a Miller-Abbott tube. The nurse understands that the procedure places the client at risk for aspiration and should therefore implement which action to decrease this risk?

1.Insert the tube with the balloon inflated.
2.Place the client in a semi Fowler's to high Fowler's position. 3.Instruct the client to cough when the tube reaches the nasal pharynx.
4.Instruct the client to perform a Valsalva maneuver if the impulse to gag and vomit occurs.

Answer 1

Option 2. To reduce the risk of aspiration during Miller-Abbott tube insertion, the nurse should place the client in a semi Fowler's to high Fowler's position, leveraging gravity to minimize the risk.

Step-by-step explanation:

To decrease the risk of aspiration during the insertion of a Miller-Abbott tube, the nurse should implement the action of placing the client in a semi Fowler's to high Fowler's position. This position helps the client by using gravity to keep gastric contents from moving up the esophagus and into the trachea, which is the risk involved with aspiration.

Though the client may experience an impulse to gag or vomit when the tube reaches the nasal pharynx, instructing them to cough or perform a Valsalva maneuver may further increase the risk of aspiration by increasing the pressure in the abdominal cavity, potentially propelling stomach contents upward. Instead, careful adjustment of the patient's position is the most appropriate method to minimize the risk of aspiration.