The nurse is inserting a nasogastric (NG) tube and assessing the patient during the procedure. Which assessment finding indicates a potentially serious problem?
a. Restlessness
b. Inability to speak
c. Nasal pressure
d. Mouth breathing
B
If the patient is unable to speak after NG tube insertion, the nurse can visualize the tube coiled up behind the pharynx instead of passing into the esophagus. The nurse removes the tube quickly because this also means that the tube is in the trachea; it should be in the esophagus. Patient res-tlessness and fidgeting should diminish after NG tube placement, especially if the tube helps to relieve nausea and abdominal distention. The nurse continues to monitor the patient for com-pliance with therapy to ensure that the tube remains in place. The patient is expected to feel nasal pressure after tube placement; however, the pressure should dissipate with time as the patient adjusts to it. Patients often breathe through the mouth after NG tube placement initially until ad-justing to the tube in the nose.
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