An Effective Approach for Preventing and Treating Gastrostomy Tube Complications in Newborns

Abstract

Gastrostomy tube site complications can be difficult to manage and may temporarily prevent use of the tube for feeding. Such complications are especially common in premature newborns. Leakage is the usual cause of tube-site complications. This makes maintenance of effective intragastric and transabdominal tube seals the most effective approach for preventing and treating tube-site complications in newborns. This article explains how to use balloon volume and transabdominal segment length to recognize problems that can lead to leakage and how to correct these problems before they cause complications. It also addresses skin care at the site.