AAAARGH! I've blocked the Gastrostomy button

[meltedmarsbars]

Completely!!

Darn drug that disperses not dissolves. I've not blocked one for aeons. Can't get anything in or out.

Any tips to unblock?

(And its dinnertime and she is mighty hungry and grumpy)

Is it that you can't aspirate to check ph or it that it just won't flush?

If its the 1st, I'd just give it good flush. we were told with peg to flush with cola if there was blockage. Obv that can rot the plastic as well so not something you'd want to do lots

If it won't flush I'd prob call yr nurse

have you managed i hope so by now! in really bad case get a 5 mil syringe and put straight on micky and gently pull very slow just a tiny bit it will pull or loosen whats stuck . but please be careful

Well, its a good job I have a strong stomach!

After trying to flush in and out, nothing budging, nothing moving at all, leaving it a few mins, doing it all again, nothing moved at all.

In the end, resorted to pulling it out (after deflating balloon etc) and replacing it with our spare. Euch! The other dc's all rapidly left the room at that point!

It was jam-packed with pink medecine. Better take more care administring that one next time!

sometimes i find the button flushes easier if you take it out first, you can then be more forceful, use warm water etc and you can then replace it, saves you using your spare!

You put the same one back in? I thought that was a cardinal sin?! I've been told by scary nurses NEVER to put the same one back in.

Mind, they do look awfully grotty even when they've only been in there a few weeks.

(the mickey buttons not the nurses, hee hee! )

oh yuck! but glad you sorted it out

yeah we've put the same button back in 3 times now - twice at hospital and once I did in a taxi. It got a cursory wipe with one of them clinnell things!

When I worked on units using NG tubes and the like, coke was frequently recommended.

It was Zoton that bunged it up. Its in the bin now, solid as cement!

Buggar! I had my money on omeprazole
Glad your sorted and ta for your help x

Zoton is Lansoprazole - that sounds very alike! Maybe its the -prazole bit that does the glueing up?

i thought omeprazole too!

Usually its the high-fat diet that clogs it up, nevermind the drugs.

Coke or pineapple juice. I mistakenly used dandelion & burdock a few weeks back and that worked too!

apparently this stuff is fab too!