My sister (58) with ESD was hospitalized with an infection and is not able to swallow easily. Will she have to go to a facility to get proper care?
The doctor suggested a Stomach feed. She does not want it for fear that she will have to be in a nursing home. Can the gastric feeding be done long term in adults.
There are two types of feeding tube. The first is a naso gastric tube inserted through the nose into the stomach. This is used for temporary feeding and is inserted by a nurse. It is quite a small tube and no surgery is needed. it can be irritating but not painful and can be used at home. The more permanent tube is directly introduced surgically by a surgeon through a small incision in the abdominal wall. Feeding can be done by the patient themself, a family member or a healthcare professional. If the patient recovers the ability to swallow the tube can be removed.
Mary, are you referring to a tube inserted directly into the stomach? I'm not sure if it's the same as a PEG tube which is also inserted directly into the stomach, but if so, yes it can be done at home. My experience is only with a PEG tube, through which liquids and pills can be administered.
We used Nestle's ProBalance, as recommended by the prescribing physician. It was administered 4 times daily, then overnight. Medicine was crushed and put into the injection tube (a large tube that looks like a big fat needle, but is inserted directly into the protrusion from the PEG tube).
I was trained by the nurses at the SNF - it was scary at first and I really did not want to have to do it, but there was no other option. However, after the first few times it became a matter of procedure and ensuring that certain precautions were taken. This included cleaning the tube and flushing it after use. Another precaution was that the plunger couldn't be pushed fast; it wasn't really slow, but rather just average.
If the PEG tube became blocked, apple juice was inserted through the big "needle" tube to clear the blockage.
It was in about 3 months before a swallow test revealed that no aspiration was taking place and the PEG tube could be removed.
MsMary, I don't know the answer to your wuestion, but can you call the doctor with your sister to get some answers about thst? I'm assuming that you're talking about a temporary feeding tube until the infection clears up. Can you call the doctor and ask "can this be managed at home, by non medical people? Can you order a home health nurse to come out to the house to show me how to do it?"
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We used Nestle's ProBalance, as recommended by the prescribing physician. It was administered 4 times daily, then overnight. Medicine was crushed and put into the injection tube (a large tube that looks like a big fat needle, but is inserted directly into the protrusion from the PEG tube).
I was trained by the nurses at the SNF - it was scary at first and I really did not want to have to do it, but there was no other option. However, after the first few times it became a matter of procedure and ensuring that certain precautions were taken. This included cleaning the tube and flushing it after use. Another precaution was that the plunger couldn't be pushed fast; it wasn't really slow, but rather just average.
If the PEG tube became blocked, apple juice was inserted through the big "needle" tube to clear the blockage.
It was in about 3 months before a swallow test revealed that no aspiration was taking place and the PEG tube could be removed.
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