An older adult patient is recovering in hospital from an ischemic stroke and has a feeding tube in place due to dysphagia. The patient has developed an infected pressure ulcer, and ciprofloxacin suspension has been ordered as empiric therapy

Question

How should the nurse follow up this order? A) The nurse should flush the patient's feeding tube with free water before and after administration of the ciprofloxacin suspension.
B) The nurse should dilute the suspension thoroughly before administration.
C) The nurse should liaise with the care provider to provide an alternative route of administration.
D) The nurse should administer small, frequent doses of the drug to minimize GI upset.

Answer 1

C
Feedback:
Administration of the oral suspension of ciprofloxacin via feeding tubes should not occur, because the oil-based formulation tends to adhere to the feeding tube. An alternative route is consequently necessary.