Oley Foundation

Tube Talk

Thanks to all of you who responded to our advertisement with letters, tips and questions for the new "Tube Talk" column. On this page we've published a sampling of the responses. Anyone who is interested in participating can send their tips, questions and thoughts about tube feeding to: Tube Talk, c/o The Oley Foundation, 214 Hun Memorial A-23, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY 12208; or E-mail roslyn_dahl@ccgateway.amc.edu (please send basic text or MS Word attached files only).

Tip for cleaning your tube and changing your tube

Even with daily flushing (with a large catheter tipped syringe filled with water), enteral formulas tend to coat the inside of the feeding tube, and begin to look rather nasty. The tip is this. In addition to flushing, I lay the tube against the inside or side of my index finger. Then I take my thumb nail and press it against that finger, squeezing the tube between my index finger and my thumb nail. Next I pull the tube through with my other hand, keeping the pressure on with my thumb nail. This seems to loosen the formula which is adhering to the inside of the tube, and flushing again with water will get it out. It may be necessary to do this a few times, but it works.

Also, it's a good idea for consumers discuss with their doctors how often they should be changing their feeding tube. I change mine once a week, since even with this cleaning effort, I am not confident that bacteria or whatever would not eventually build up on the inside of the tube.

Ann DeBarbieri
Albany, NY

We’ve received a few questions about last month’s tip from Ann DeBarbieri in which she wrote that she changes her "tube" once a week, since even with a rigorous cleaning effort, she is not confident that bacteria and other substances would not eventually build up on the inside of the tube.

The "tube" Ann refers to is not her G-tube, but rather the tube she uses to access her button. In other words, once a week she changes the tube that delivers the food from the feeding bag in through her button; the button itself, is only changed about once every four to five months.

As Barbara Witt, one of the readers who had questioned the tip explains, changing your G-tube once a week would likely promote granulated tissue or other mechanically-caused skin trauma at the stoma site. Therefore she would not recommend changing your G-tube so frequently. As always, check with your wound care nurse first.

Mother thankful for tube feeding option

Our daughter Cassandra, who is currently five years old, is on enteral feedings. Cassie was born premature, at 28 weeks gestation, and weighed 2 lbs. 12.5 ozs. She had numerous prematurity related illnesses which caused her to have cerebral palsy. Because of this, she had G.E. reflux which aided in her "failure to thrive."

Pretty much since birth we have had on-going medical problems to deal with, but thanks to her G-tube, we no longer have to worry about her starving to death. She takes Pediasure, water and juice (plus medicines) via her tube and it is the main reason she is still alive today.

Cassandra still has some problems with bloating, gas, gagging and wretching, but she's doing excellent compared to what we went through in the beginning of her life. Thanks to some information and tapes from the Oley Foundation, we feel we made the right choice for our child.

Georgia Wenger & Family
3609 S. Shore Dr. o Delavan, WI 53115 o (414) 728-2542