Emergency G-tube (Feeding Tube) Replacement

Step one: Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and dry them well. Or use hand sanitizer and rub until your hands are completely dry. Handwashing is an important step to help prevent infections.

Step two: Ask someone to help you hold your child's hands.

Step three: Open the water-soluble lubricant and coat the end of the catheter that is the same size as your child’s current G-tube. Do not touch the end of the catheter that goes into your child’s body. The end of the catheter must stay sterile (free from germs).

Step four: Gently insert the catheter into the stoma. Insert it to the same length as the G-tube stem length. Never force the catheter into the stoma.

Note: If you cannot insert the catheter, coat the end of the smaller catheter with lubricant and try to insert it gently into the stoma. If this smaller catheter does not work either, go to the hospital right away to replace your child’s G-tube.

Step six: Tape the catheter to your child’s belly to keep it from moving.

Step seven: Contact your child’s care team. Let them know that you have done an emergency replacement of a G-tube.

Do not use the catheter for feeding. Your St. Jude team will replace the G-tube and provide further instructions.

Step one: Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and dry them well. Or use hand sanitizer and rub until your hands are completely dry. Handwashing is an important step to help prevent infections.

Step two: Ask someone to help you hold your child's hands.

Step three: If your child has a replacement G-tube, use it. Coat the stem with water-soluble lubricant. Open the lubricant packet, insert the stem (part that goes into the body), and coat it with lubricant. Do not touch the end of the G-tube that goes into your child’s body. It must stay sterile.

If your child does not have a replacement G-tube, then use a catheter that is the same size as your child’s current G-tube. Open the lubricant packet, insert the end of the catheter, into the pack and coat it with lubricant. Do not touch the end of the catheter that goes into your child’s body. The end of the catheter must stay sterile.

Step four: Gently insert the catheter into the stoma at the same length as the G-tube stem length into the stoma. If your child has a G-tube, insert the new G-tube in the stoma. Never force the catheter or G-tube into the opening.

• If you put in a new G-tube: Inflate the balloon with the correct amount of sterile water using a slip-tip syringe. Use the amount of water that is provided by your care team.
  
• If you cannot insert the same size catheter or G-tube: Coat the end of the smaller catheter or G-tube with lubricant and try to insert it gently into the stoma.

Step five: Tape the catheter to your child's belly to keep it from moving.

Step six: Check that the catheter or G-tube is in the correct position. Attach the 60 mL catheter-tipped syringe to the end of the catheter coming out from the body. Or, if your child has a G-tube, attach the 10 mL slip tip syringe to the feeding port on the G-tube. Gently draw the syringe plunger back and look for stomach contents (you may see baby formula, mucus, green drainage). If you can see stomach contents, the catheter or G-tube is inserted correctly. Stop pulling back on the syringe plunger.

Step seven: Put a rubber band around the red catheter to close it. Or clamp the G-tube. You can apply sterile gauze to protect the skin around the stoma.