A nurse is providing care for a patient in a long-term care facility who is receiving enteral feedings via a nasogastric (NG) tube.
What action should the nurse take before administering the tube feeding?

Choice A rationale

Granulation tissue forming at the bottom of the wound bed is a characteristic of secondary intention healing, not primary intention. In secondary intention, the wound is left open and fills with granulation tissue.

Choice B rationale

A wound that was contaminated at the time of injury would likely require secondary intention healing to allow for cleaning and observation of the wound. This is not typical of primary intention healing.

Choice C rationale

Prolonged healing of the wound is not a characteristic of primary intention healing. In primary intention, the wound edges are brought together (approximated), which allows for rapid healing.

Choice D rationale

In primary intention healing, the skin edges of the wound are sutured closed. This is the most distinctive feature of primary intention healing, as it allows for minimal scar formation and quick healing.

Rationale:

When administering multiple liquid medications through an NG tube, it’s important to administer each medication separately to prevent drug interactions. After each medication, the NG tube should be flushed with 30 mL of water to ensure that the medication has been fully administered and to prevent the tube from becoming clogged.