What should be done before administering an enteral feeding?

What should be done before administering an enteral feeding?

• A. Verify tube placement and check residual volume
• B. Flush the tube with water
• C. Wait for patient to tell you
• D. Check blood pressure

Answer: (A)

Before giving an enteral feed, the most important safety steps are to verify the tube placement and measure the gastric residual volume. Verifying placement ensures the tube is actually in the stomach or the intended segment, preventing feeds from entering the lungs and causing aspiration. Checking residual volume helps assess gastric emptying and tolerance; a high residual can indicate the need to hold feeding and reassess. Flushing the tube with water is important for patency but is not the primary pre-feeding check. Waiting for the patient to tell you and checking blood pressure do not address the immediate safety and tolerance of the feeding.

Before giving an enteral feed, the most important safety steps are to verify the tube placement and measure the gastric residual volume. Verifying placement ensures the tube is actually in the stomach or the intended segment, preventing feeds from entering the lungs and causing aspiration. Checking residual volume helps assess gastric emptying and tolerance; a high residual can indicate the need to hold feeding and reassess. Flushing the tube with water is important for patency but is not the primary pre-feeding check. Waiting for the patient to tell you and checking blood pressure do not address the immediate safety and tolerance of the feeding.