During Nasogastric tube attached to low suction, patient reports nausea and there has been no drainage for two hours. What action should be taken first?

• A. Reposition the client on her side.
• B. Irrigate the nasogastric tube with sterile normal saline.
• C. Advance the nasogastric tube an additional five centimeters.
• D. Administer an intravenous antiemetic prescribed for PRN use.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is to restore the tube’s patency and drainage by addressing a possible mechanical obstruction. Repositioning the patient to the side can relieve kinks or looping of the nasogastric tube and let gastric contents drain by gravity into the collection system again. This simple position change directly targets the likely cause of no drainage and also can reduce the risk of aspiration if nausea worsens.

After repositioning, you would recheck the tube and suction for patency, verify there isn’t a kink at the nares or along the tube path, and assess the suction function. Interventions that involve irrigating, advancing the tube, or giving antiemetics address different issues and aren’t the first step when drainage has ceased and the patient is nauseated; irrigation is used only if there’s a confirmed occlusion and per protocol, advancing the tube can cause injury or misplacement, and an antiemetic manages symptoms rather than the drainage problem.