Guidelines for routine gastrostomy tube replacement in children
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Guidelines for routine gastrostomy tube replacement in children

Sarah Cunningham Nurse specialist in gastroenterology and nutrition for children and young people, Great North Children’s Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne
Carolyn Best Nutrition nurse specialist, Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester

Sarah Cunningham and Carolyn Best outline advice for the care of children with feeding difficulties

Endoscopic placement of a gastrostomy is the safest method of inserting a gastrostomy in children who are going to require full or supplemental enteral feeding for more than six weeks. Once a stoma tract has formed successfully following initial placement of a gastrostomy tube, the device can be changed to a balloon, button or non-balloon type. Community nursing teams often support a number of children with gastrostomies and their families, replacing the devices as necessary. Guidance for the safe insertion and replacement of balloon and button gastrostomies has been produced by the National Nurses Nutrition Group, the Patient Safety Agency and manufacturers, but standardised national guidelines are required.

Nursing Children and Young People. 25, 10, 22-25. doi: 10.7748/ncyp2013.12.25.10.22.e331

Correspondence

carolyn.best@hhft.nhs.uk

Peer review

This article has been subject to open peer review and has been checked using antiplagiarism software

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 27 November 2012

Accepted: 16 August 2013

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