Daily and weekly care of the balloon gastrostomy
Date issued: April 2022
Review date: April 2024
Ref: C-120 v4
PDF: Daily and weekly of the RIG or balloon gastrostomy final April 2022 v4.pdf [pdf] 81KB
Daily and weekly care of the balloon gastrostomy tube (BGT)
Daily care
Move fixation plate away from skin. Clean with mild soap and water using soft cloth (no cotton wool). Rotate daily by 360°. Re?tension, dry
thoroughly and place fixation plate 2?3mm from skin. If not using for feeds, flush daily with water as advised by Dietitian. If in use, extension
sets should be removed and washed in warm soapy water, rinsed and left to air dry between uses. They should be changed every 2-4 weeks.
Weekly care
Lift the edges of the fixation plate or move away from the skin. Clean and dry stoma site as per daily care.
Advance tube 2?3cms into stomach and hold tube firmly in place. Use 2 x 5ml luer slip syringes. Pre-load one syringe with cooled boiled water.
Attach empty 5ml syringe to balloon inflation port, draw back and measure water. Discard water and draw back a second time. Insert
water from pre-loaded syringe into balloon. Rotate 360°. Clean the tube that has been in the stomach to remove acid. Dry thoroughly. Re?tension
and place fixation plate 2?3mm from skin.
Document amount of water removed from and re?inserted into the balloon.
The purpose of the weekly care is to assess the integrity of the balloon.
Inform appropriate Health Care Professional if any concerns.
Points to remember
• Good hand hygiene
• Maintain sitting position of a minimum of 45° when flushing & feeding
• Regular mouth care
• Monitor the condition of stoma site and use prescribed topical creams/barrier film and/or prescribed dressings as clinically indicated.