3 Ways To Stop The Blockages
For those with feeding tubes, taking medication orally may not be possible. Because most medications need to be administered by tube, it’s very important to have the proper tools to do so. If a medication is not available in a liquid form the medicine may need to be crushed into a fine powder and mixed with water to be given in the tube. But what happens if the medicine is not crushed fine enough, and as a result clogs in the tube? Here we will go over 3 tips to help prevent this.
1. Flush the Tube Before and After
The first step in preventing a tube clog with medication is to flush the tube before and after medication is administered. Flushing the line first ensures that there are no leftover particles from previous feedings. This should be done with at least 30 ml (1 ounce) of water. Then, after the medicine has been given, the line should be flushed again to be sure all medication has passed through. Also, if more than one medication is being given 5ml of water should be flushed between medications.
- Use The Right Pill Crusher
Another way to prevent clogging is crushing the pill into a fine powder. The finer the powder the better. The Equadose Pill Crusher has a mechanism that allows you to decide how fine or coarse you would like the powder to be. When setting the grinder to the finest setting you get a very consistent powder. The powder should be mixed with at least 5ml of warm water and stirred until dissolved.
- Check That Your Pills Are Safe to Crush
However, not all medication is suitable to be crushed. Never crush gel capsules, time release formulas, or sustained release pills or tablets. If you are in doubt, check with your pharmacist to see if your medication is suitable to be crushed.
In conclusion, using these three tips will help prevent clogging and ease the stress of giving medication!