Guest guest Posted September 28, 2002 Report Share Posted September 28, 2002 To Jan Koenig Jan I have experienced the same problem as you with the PEG tube cap. I have settled on a particular brand and model and no longer have that problem. Some PEG tubes are made in one piece, some are in two pieces. The two piece ones consist of a tube (with the balloon) and a removable end piece which is called the 'Y' port. It is called the 'Y' port because it is like the letter 'Y' and has two openings, one for feed and one for medication. (Sorry if you know this.) I use the COMPAT replacement balloon gastrostomy tube supplied by Novartis. The reason I like this particular tube is that the 'Y' port is removable and I can buy spare 'Y' ports. The other reason I use the COMPAT tube is my wife's medications tend to block the tube periodically and I can remove the 'Y' port and give it a good clean. Here in Australia, this particular PEG tube costs about AUS$95 and the spare 'Y' port costs about AUS$25. I don't have to pay for them as they are supplied by a local Movement Disorders Centre that has funding for this. Any PEG tube is only as good as the balloon. The first time my wife's PEG tube balloon burst, we had an unforgettable experience in the emergency department of a local hospital. I realised after that it was in fact no big job to change the tube myself, as long as I had a spare on hand! So I now keep a spare tube in the house and change my wife's PEG tube when the balloon goes. So, we use the Novartis COMPAT '18 French' replacement balloon gastrostomy tube from Novartis Nutrition Corporation, Clinical Products Division, PO Box 370, Minneapolis, MN 55440-0370. But please note - there is a problem (isn't there always!) Most drug and nutrition feed companies design their products to suit themselves. Ideally, when you attach a feeding bottle to the PEG tube, you LOCK it into place in case it 'pops' out and leaks everywhere. And believe me, that can happen. So if the PEG tube is from a different company to the one that provides the feeding bags and giving sets, then you probably can not 'lock' the connection. But chances are it will still be ok. The Novartis COMPAT tubes are designed for use with their own feeding bags and giving sets. If you happen to use a different brand of feeding bag and giving set, it will probably be ok but you may not be able to secure the feeding tube. One final comment - you said that "but someone eventually lost the cap. This left the tube open to dust and dirt." I don't know about your father, but if I lost the cap to 's PEG tube it would be a disaster. My nickname for her stomach is Vesuvius. Hope this helps. _____________________________________________ Yours sincerely aka the wombat http://members.optushome.com.au/wwwombat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2002 Report Share Posted September 28, 2002 Please be careful when removing and replacing a PEG tube!!!!! IF NOT IN CORRECTLY AND INSIDE THE STOMACH AT THE PROPER DEPTH SO IT CAN SEAL, THERE CAN BE DISASTER. You ask, "How can she say that? Experience. My Ralph had one put in in March of 2000. Went in for check up and replacement by gastro man who had inserted it at the hospital, on April 5. April 7 was a night mare. Some how the stomach was torn at the entry of the base of the tube. No one knew it. Could have happened with a fall. Could have happened when the old tube was removed and new tube was inserted. It began to leak into the abdomen. So everything I was feeding him went into the abdominal cavity. Along with what had been in his stomach. CATASTROPHE!!!!! Peritonitis. Great pain and nearly the loss of his life. He was in the hospital for a month. It was down hill all the way after that, with a Groshan tube and then nasal feeding tube. Nothing by mouth and only liquid nourishment through the nasal tube. Life was never the same. Really a miserable life and in time I had to place him in a nursing home because he was so ill he was pulling out all the tubes, no matter what they were. Imagine yourself in a room with a fella who could eat and drink everything and you are not even allowed to sip a drink of cold tea or water. It was awful. So, I ask, please be careful. This is a serious procedure. Barb -- If they squeeze olives to get olive oil, how do they get baby oil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 28, 2002 Report Share Posted September 28, 2002 What useful information I'm getting on PEG tubes! Thank you! There are several areas of my father's care that I have decided to leave to the hired caregivers. At around $150,000 a year for 24/7 home care, I DO expect to get some service there! One of those is the PEG tube feedings and care. However, it is obvious that I need to become more knowledgeable and get more information from the doctor on the manufacturer of this particular PEG. I know it doesn't have a " Y " in it and I don't think there is any type of extension piece that would be easy to replace. It does have a open/shut valve a few inches down from the end where the cap is. This prevents stuff from getting up or down the tube. I don't think I will be doing any full replacements myself. For that I will do whatever is necessary to get to the doctor. Several people have offered simple options for covering the end of the tube when the cap inevitably gets lost, one as simple as plastic wrap and a rubber band. Sometimes the obvious escapes us, doesn't it? Thanks to the list. You sent me useful information and calmed me down at bit, as well. Jane Koenig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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