Blocked Gastrostomy

[Hamleysmum]

DS is waiting to have his PEG removed. It's a tube style one , not a button. It hasn't been used at all for a while, and now the tube's gone all hard and blocked . I wasn't worried as we don't need it any more but today he 's been sick a couple of times and I am worried that somehow whatever horrible dried up milk/ meds that are in there are getting into his stomach yuk. We always kept it well flushed so I don't know what it's blocked with. He's been complaining that the site is sore and itchy too. I wondered if I should call the hospital for advice, does anyone know if the fact it's all hard and blocked can be dangerous, or make him ill? Is it ok to leave it like this till it comes out ( hopefully next month, he's on the waiting list ) Thanks.

I would NOT wait until next month. Can you get hold of the general paediatric surgeon who put it in? I would be trying to get this sorted and swapped/out this week. My DD had a g-tube that went nasty and made her sick. The Micky Button that we switched to, was a lot easier to keep clean.

I do remember that the community paediatric nurse gave me a tube that you inserted into the gastrostomy site that inflated to keep the hole from collapsing, until you could see the surgeon and get it replaced. Maybe you should put in a call to the community paed nursing team tomorrow morning??

It sounds infected. It can happen despite best efforts. I would ring the gastro ward a the hospital ds is under and ask for advice.