Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) Site Care
Published: 22 June 2021
Published: 22 June 2021
A percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube is a feeding tube that is inserted into the stomach via a surgical incision in the abdomen (known as a stoma). A PEG may be inserted if a person is unable to safely eat and drink through their mouth (University Hospital Geelong 2015; The Hillingdon Hospitals 2018).
When caring for a client with a PEG tube in situ, you should be able to perform basic personal care of the stoma site as well as identify any red flags that require an escalation of care.
Routine care should comprise:
(ACI & GENCA 2015)
(RCHM 2018; University Hospital Geelong 2015)
(The Hillingdon Hospitals 2018)
The following signs and symptoms require escalation of care to an appropriately qualified medical practitioner:
(ACI & GENCA 2015; Wilkey et al. 2015; SAGES 2019)
(Wilkey et al. 2015)
Note: This article is intended as a guide only for non-clinical staff providing PEG site care to home care clients and should not replace best-practice care. Always refer first to your organisation's policies and procedures on PEG site care.
Question 1 of 3
How much should the PEG tube be rotated daily?