A practical guide for the management of pediatric gastrostomy tubes based on 14 years of experience.
Children require long-term enteral access for a variety of medical problems. Common reasons include cerebral palsy, congenital anomalies, failure to thrive, cystic fibrosis, inborn errors of metabolism, and HIV/AIDS. Although this will generally be accomplished with a gastrostomy tube, some children will not tolerate gastrostomy feedings and will have a jejunostomy placed or have their gastrostomy converted to a gastrojejunostomy tube. This article explains 3 methods of tube placement, discusses styles of gastrostomy tubes and their pros and cons, reviews management of tubes, and discusses common problems and their solutions.
Crawley-Coha
Teri
T
Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. tcrawley@childrensmemorial.org
D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000451:nursing*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D010371:Pediatric Nursing