Question

Before inserting a gastric or enteric tube, the nurse determines the length of tubing that will be needed to reach the stomach or small intestine. the levin tube, a commonly used nasogastric tube, has circular markings at specific points. this tube should be inserted to 6 to 10 cm beyond what length?

Answer 1

The distance measured from the tip of the nose to the earlobe and from the earlobe to the xiphoid process

Inserting NGT can gain access to the stomach and its content. Draining of stomach content is possible, decompression or obtain a specimen of the gastric content is possible. This can allow gastric immobility and gastric obstruction to be identified. This is usually contraindicted to patients with facial trauma due to possibility of inserting the tube intracranially. Complications that can be expected are aspiration, trauma.