A pump delivers J-tube feedings

  • Pump feeding is the method used to deliver formula into the small intestine
  • Formula is placed in a feeding container and pumped through the J-tube into the body
  • The pump delivers slow, continuous feeding because the small intestine cannot hold as much formula as the stomach
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    Prepare

    • Prepare the formula
    • Check the tube position (ask your healthcare provider how often)
    • Flush the feeding tube with prescribed amount of water

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    Begin feeding

    • Hang the filled feeding container or place it in an ambulatory carrier
    • Connect the feeding set to the pump
    • Remove the cap from the end of the feeding set
    • If your feeding set has a clamp, open it completely
    • Prime the feeding set
    • Choose a safe, comfortable position (eg, sitting up in a chair, propped up in a bed or on a couch)
    • Insert the tip of the feeding set into the feeding tube
    • Turn on the pump and set the flow rate (refer to manufacturer’s instructions)
    • Start the pump
    • After feeding container is empty or the dose has been fed, stop the pump and flush the tube
    • If your healthcare provider has told you to take extra water after feedings:
      • Pour the prescribed amount into the feeding container
      • Start the pump
      • When the water is gone, stop the pump

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    Check tube placement

    • If the J-tube is kept in place with a skin disk, make sure it is not tight against the skin
    • Check its position using the markings on the tube
    • If the J-tube is sutured in place, make sure the sutures are intact
    • If the tube has moved or has come out, do not use it–go to the emergency room and take the tube with you

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    Call your child’s doctor or nurse for the following:

    • Vomiting
    • Blood in or around the feeding tube
    • Formula or stomach contents leaking around the tube site
    • Red, sore, or swollen tube site
    • Tube clog that you can’t flush out with warm water
    • Unusual, excessive, or foul-smelling drainage from the tube site (stoma)