There have been earlier posts regarding difficulties with Nursing Anne and NG tubes.  If anyone has figured out how to get a gastric return on a consistent basis, please share your expertise!! I fill the reservoir with at least 100 cc of water.  I check to make sure it works and it does.  OK --fast forward to the students.  Not once has a student been able to get a gastric return. Today, I made sure that the tube was in the reservoir, below the valve. I had my hand in the chest to feel for it as the student inserted the NG tube. No gastric return.  They practiced bolus feedings with 30 cc of water.  During clean up I found that these "feedings did not enter the reservoir.  When I disconnected the reservoir, the water drained from the esophagus!! What a mess.  Please someone give me step by step instructions.  I must be doing something wrong. I have filled the reservoir to capacity and still not get a return.

Thanks so much,

Sherry

Sherry,

I have successfully done this with my students. I had difficulty with the NG tube "getting" into the actual stomach which I had previously filled witha solution. My rep recommended that I take Nursing Anne apart in the chest area and separate the stomach from the esophagus. Then I lubed the inside of the esophagus. If you look at the actual structure of Nursing Anne, you will see a challenging 'curve' in the esophagus. The lube helped the NG tube to enter the stomach. Although I had the stomach fairly full with the solution, we had a difficult time when we tried to check for stomach contents. So I actually filled it fuller and then had success. Good Luck!