Which option is NOT an appropriate practice for a client receiving continuous enteral feedings?

Which option is NOT an appropriate practice for a client receiving continuous enteral feedings?

• A. Change feeding bag every 24 hours.
• B. Keep head of bed elevated at 15 degrees.
• C. Check gastric residual every 8 hours.
• D. Flush tube with 30 mL water every 4 hours.

Answer: (B)

Keeping the head of the bed sufficiently elevated during continuous enteral feeding is essential to reduce the risk of aspiration. Leaning the patient at only 15 degrees does not provide adequate protection against reflux into the airway, so this level of elevation is not appropriate for someone receiving continuous feeds. In practice, the head of the bed is kept up around 30 to 45 degrees during feeding and for some time after, to keep stomach contents away from the lungs. The other measures described support safe feeding: changing the feeding bag daily helps limit bacterial growth, flushing the tube with water helps prevent clogging and maintains patency, and monitoring gastric residual at appropriate intervals helps assess tolerance. Taken together, these practices promote safety, while insufficient head elevation increases aspiration risk.

Keeping the head of the bed sufficiently elevated during continuous enteral feeding is essential to reduce the risk of aspiration. Leaning the patient at only 15 degrees does not provide adequate protection against reflux into the airway, so this level of elevation is not appropriate for someone receiving continuous feeds. In practice, the head of the bed is kept up around 30 to 45 degrees during feeding and for some time after, to keep stomach contents away from the lungs.

The other measures described support safe feeding: changing the feeding bag daily helps limit bacterial growth, flushing the tube with water helps prevent clogging and maintains patency, and monitoring gastric residual at appropriate intervals helps assess tolerance. Taken together, these practices promote safety, while insufficient head elevation increases aspiration risk.