Failure to Label and Date Feeding Tube Syringe
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a feeding tube syringe used for a resident with a gastrostomy tube was found to be neither labeled nor dated. The resident, who had diagnoses including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastrostomy, and dysphagia, was dependent on staff for all activities of daily living and received nutrition via a feeding tube. Observation in the resident's room revealed that the syringe used for tube feeding was not marked with a date or label, contrary to facility policy. During an interview and record review, a registered nurse confirmed that the feeding tube syringe should be dated, timed, and changed daily, as per facility policy. The nurse acknowledged that without proper labeling, staff would not be able to determine when the syringe was last changed, which could place the resident at risk for infection. The facility's policy on enteral feeding specified that syringes must be changed daily, and this procedure was not followed in this instance.