Medication administration by nasogastric tube

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Date

2024

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Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Universty of the Western Cape

Abstract

Nasogastric tubes (NGTs) are commonly used in hospital settings for administering medicine to patients who, for various underlying reasons, experience dysphagia. Nurses are the healthcare providers primarily responsible for medicine administration while pharmacists must ensure the safe and rational use of medicines and medicine administration. There are many practical challenges associated with nasogastric medicine administration, and guidelines on medicine administration via this route are suggested to minimise these challenges. These challenges, although encountered daily in the hospital setting, do not appear to have been described in a South African context. In addition, there seems to be a lack of guidelines and information available for prescribers or nurses to prevent or minimise these medicine administration problems from occurring.

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Keywords

Nasogastric tube, medicine administration, South African public health sector, prescribing practice, nurse experience

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