Caring for Your Jejunostomy Tube (J-Tube) at Home

The name of my feeding supplement/formula is:

______________________________________

Amount per feeding:  _____________________

Times per day: __________________________

Amount of water used to flush tube:

______________________________________

My healthcare provider's name and phone number is:

______________________________________

Guidelines for continuous tube feeding

• Make arrangements for a special feeding pump to be delivered to your home.

• Don't take medicines through your J-tube.

• Keep tension off the tubing by taping it up onto your belly (abdomen).

Clean around the tube

• Wash your hands thoroughly with mild soap and water before starting your feeding.

• Clean the area around the tube with mild soap and water.

• Pat the area dry using a clean washcloth.

Get ready

• Gather the supplies you will need. These include formula, water, feeding bag, pump, and a 30 mL to 60 mL syringe.

• Close the clamp on the feeding bag tubing.

• Slowly pour the formula into the feeding bag. Use the prescribed amount of feeding.

• Hang the feeding bag on the pole about 1 to 2 feet above your head.

Begin feeding

• Open the clamp and let the formula fill the entire tubing, clearing any air.

• Close the clamp.

• Connect the feeding bag tubing to the pump. Adjust the settings on the pump.

• Using the syringe, flush the J-tube with the prescribed amount of water.

• Connect the tubing of the feeding bag to the J-tube.

• Open the clamp. Start the pump.

After the feeding

• When the feeding is finished, stop the infusion and flush the J-tube with the prescribed amount of water.

• Stop the feeding once each day to clean the bag. Wash the feeding bag with soapy water.

• Rinse the bag thoroughly so that there is no soapy film in the bag. Hang the bag to dry.

• Flush the J-tube with the prescribed amount of water every 4 to 6 hours through the flush port. If there is no flush port, then stop the pump, disconnect the feeding bag tubing, and flush the J-tube.

Follow-up

Follow up with your healthcare provider, or as advised.

When to call your healthcare provider

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following:

• Bloody or coffee-colored drainage through the tube (Depending on the amount of bleeding, your provider may direct you to seek medical care right away.)

• New cough or start coughing mucus (wet cough)

• Trouble breathing during feeding, flushing, or giving medicine

• Tube that can’t be unclogged

• Tube that falls out or trouble telling if the tube is in your stomach

• Tube that is cracked or breaking down 

• Diarrhea that lasts more than 3 loose stools

• Constipation that lasts more than 48 hours

• Nausea or vomiting

• Red, warm, or tender skin around the tube

• Sudden increase or decrease in the amount of drainage through the tube

• Sudden weight loss or gain (more than 2 pounds (0.9 kg) in 24 hours)

• Bloated or tight stomach, newly swollen legs

• Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as directed by your healthcare provider