January 22, 2018
If you or your loved one uses a pump for administering nutrition through your feeding tube, chances are you have experienced a disconnection at some time or another. While it can be an unfortunate and messy inconvenience, disconnections prevent the tube from being forcefully pulled from your body and are meant to save you from pain or a bigger issue. If a disconnection happens to you, do you know the steps to take? We’re breaking them down below…
- Stop the pump.
- Estimate the amount of formula lost. You want to be sure that you know and then can make up for nutrition you missed!
- Clean up yourself, your equipment and supplies. Thoroughly wipe the tube connections with soap and water or alcohol. They must be free of oil and formula build-up. Clean inside the extension set feeding port with a cotton-tip applicator and alcohol. Irrigate the tube with warm water. Dry the connections.
- Once everything is clean and dry, firmly reconnect the tubes with a quarter turn.
- Resume the feeding, replacing the estimated volume lost during the disconnection.
Do you have tips for recovering from a disconnection or preventing them all together? Share with us on Facebook!