These instructions are for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) patients who need medicine given through a feeding tube such as an OG (orogastric) or NG (nasogastric) tube.

Instructions for giving medicine through an NG or OG feeding tube:

1. If your child is getting a feed, stop the feeding and clamp the tubing or plug the feeding port.
2. Check placement of the NG tube or OG tube by checking the stomach pH as you have been taught.
3. Flush the tube with the amount of water or air as you have been taught. Attach the oral medicine syringe to the medicine port on the feeding tube and gently push on the plunger until all of the medicine has been given. Clamp or pinch the tube so that medicine does not leak out. Please note:
   • Do not mix medicines in the same syringe.
   • Do not mix medicines with formula.
   • Do not give medicine beads through the tube (they will clog the tube).
4. Flush the tube again with the amount of water or air as you have been taught in between each medicine and after the final medicine.
5. Clamp the tube, close the cap or restart the feed as you have been taught.

If your child has a G tube, GJ tube, J tube, ND tube, or NJ tube follow steps 3 through 5 above.

If you have any questions about your child’s health, please contact your child’s healthcare provider. This document is intended only to provide general educational information and is not intended as medical advice or treatment. Please consult with your healthcare provider prior to use, as some of this information may need to be adapted for your child’s specific needs. It is the responsibility of your healthcare provider to advise you on the appropriate use of this information. If you/your child are not already a CHOP patient, this document does not create a doctor-patient relationship between you/your child and CHOP. CHOP is not responsible for any outcomes you/your child might experience from your use of this document. This document is provided "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, express or implied. If this document refers to any drugs or medical devices, it is the responsibility of your healthcare provider to check the FDA status prior to use. If this document includes references to drug dosing, please do not rely on this document. Your healthcare provider should check the package insert for each drug before use. Hyperlinks used within this document may not be translated into other languages.

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