Cleaning and Declogging Your NG or PEG Feeding Tubes

For those of you who are unable to eat with your mouth for whatever reason, be it a tracheotomy or some other medical reason, feeding tubes are essential. You either have a nasogastric tube, which is inserted through one of your nostrils and runs down to your stomach, or you have a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube, which is surgically inserted and leads straight to your stomach through your abdomen.

For those of you with an NG nose tube, you know how often and easy it is for these to get clogged. They have to be changed which can be anywhere from every month to every 3 months, and believe me, it is an extreme pain when they get clogged and have to be changed more often than that!

A PEG tube is less likely to get clogged as it is larger that the NG nose tube. This choice of feeding tube only has to be changed about once a year unless it gets clogged.

With some extra attention, maintenance, and care paid to these tubes, you can reduce and hopefully eliminate the need for those irritable and painful extra tube changes due to clogging.
Here are some ways that are very effective in keeping your feeding tube clean and clog-free:

For an NG Tube:
- Heat up some warm water in the microwave or over the stove. You may also use warm tapwater. Push one 60cc (2oz.) syringe of the warm water through your tube before and after your meal. Use 2 syringes if you can hold it. Once a day, preferably at night to give more time for this to work, pour Cola into your tube and leave it, don't rinse it through. This will eat at little particles and residue that are left in your tube from your meals.

You don't have to do this at night time, though. Feel free to do it anytime you think your tube needs an extra cleaning. Better safe than sorry!

For a PEG Tube:
- Push 1-2 syringes of warm water into your tube before and after your meal. Do this with every meal as you do with the NG tube as well. Get some pipe cleaners from your local superstore or craft center. These are found in the craft section of your store. They come in different colors, but it doesn't matter what color you get.

Now, you can do this next step once a day. You may do this more often if you think it absolutely necessary. Pour some Cola into your PEG tube with your syringe. Close the cap of your tube and let this set for a few minutes. This will dissolve food residue as you will be able to see if your tube is clear.

Next, take one of your pipe cleaners and slightly bend over the tip of one end so that it is flush with the rest of the pipe cleaner, and there is no sharp edge anymore. Now, open the cap and slowly slide the pipe-cleaner, bent tip first, into your PEG tube. Push the pipe-cleaner in, but not so far as to go into your stomach..you will able to tell when to stop. Squeeze up and down the tube a few times. Finally, slide the pipe cleaner out and push warm water through your tube.

Tip: Keep your pipe cleaners wherever you take your meals so they are handy if you need them.

Note: Use Diet Cola if you are diabetic just incase more Cola gets into your stomach than you had planned.

Applying these techniques regularly should keep your tube clean, free flowing, and hopefully eliminate those pesky trips to the doctor's office and emergency room for a clogged feeding tube!