Discharge Instructions: Caring for Your Jejunostomy Tube (J-Tube)

You have been discharged with a feeding tube called a jejunostomy tube (J-tube or jejunal tube). The J-tube was put through your skin and into your small bowel (jejunum). This allows for feeding directly into your small bowel. Your feeding tube was put in because you are not able to take in enough food or drink through your mouth to keep you healthy. You were shown how to care for your J-tube in the hospital. The information below can help you remember the steps when you’re at home.

Guidelines for continuous tube feeding

• Make arrangements for a special feeding pump to be delivered to your home. The hospital or your health care provider's office should be able to help with this.

• Check with your provider before putting any medicine into a J-tube. Only certain medicines can be put through a J-tube. There will be specific instructions on how to do this safely and correctly. This is important to keep you healthy and the tube working correctly.

• J-tube feeding is given continuously. This means you will not be putting large amounts into the tube at 1 time (bolus feeding).

• Keep tension off the tubing by taping it up onto your belly (abdomen).

• Check the tube and the skin around the tube before each feeding. Get used to what they look like. That way if there are changes or problems, you will notice them and can contact your healthcare provider.

Clean around the tube

• Wash your hands thoroughly with mild soap and clean, running water before starting your feeding.

• Clean the area around the tube with mild soap and water.

• Pat the area dry using a clean washcloth.

Get ready

• Gather the supplies you will need. These include formula, water, feeding bag, pump, and a 30 mL to 60 mL syringe.

• Close the clamp on the feeding bag tubing.

• Slowly pour the formula into the feeding bag. Use the prescribed amount of feeding. Do not put anything else into the feeding bag except what you were prescribed.

• Hang the feeding bag on the pole about 1 to 2 feet above your head.

Begin feeding

• Open the clamp and let the formula fill the entire tubing, clearing any air.

• Close the clamp.

• Connect the feeding bag tubing to the pump. Adjust the settings on the pump.

• Using the syringe, flush the J-tube with the prescribed amount of water.

• Connect the tubing of the feeding bag to the J-tube.

• Open the clamp. Start the pump.

After the feeding

• When the feeding is finished, stop the infusion and flush the J-tube with the prescribed amount of water.

• Stop the feeding once each day to clean the bag. Wash the feeding bag with soapy water.

• Rinse the bag thoroughly so that there is no soapy film in the bag. Hang the bag to dry.

• Flush the J-tube with the prescribed amount of water every 4 to 6 hours through the flush port. If there is no flush port, then stop the pump, disconnect the feeding bag tubing, and flush the J-tube. Flushing is important because J-tubes can clog.

Follow-up

Follow up with your health care provider as advised.

When to contact your doctor

Contact your health care provider or get medical care right away if you have any of the following:

• A tube that is clogged or dislodged

• Belly pain that gets worse

• Vomiting

• Fever of  100.4° F ( 38° C) or higher, or as advised by your provider

• Chills

• Diarrhea that lasts more than  2 days

• Signs of infection (redness, swelling, or warmth at the tube site)

• Drainage from the tube site

• Weight loss of  2 or more pounds in  24 hours

• Decreased urination