Learn how to give feeds and medication with ENFit supplies and how to properly clean and care for the supplies.
Key points
When your child switches to an ENFit tube or supplies, the steps for giving them medications and feeds will be slightly different.
Always properly clean and store the supplies when you are finished giving medication and feeds.
Securely connect ENFit connectors together with one gentle clockwise twist. Avoid overtightening connections.
What is ENFit?
ENFit is a new global standard for feeding tube supplies and accessories. ENFit is a safer design for feeding tube connectors that is being adopted around the world. The change will affect NG, NJ, G, J, GJ, and combination G/GJ tubes, feeding accessories and syringes.
Below you will find instructions for the following:
Giving medications with ENFit supplies
Giving medications with a non-ENFit syringe
Giving feeds with ENFit supplies
Cleaning equipment once your child has transferred to ENFit
Important: Do not follow these steps until your child has been switched to ENFit supplies and you have been instructed to do so by your health-care team.
Giving medications with an ENFit feeding tube
Supplies needed
Medication
ENFit bottle cap
ENFit syringes (one for medication, one for water)
ENFit feeding tube
Instructions
Wash your hands thoroughly using soap and water.
Place the ENFit bottle cap on to the medication bottle.
Connect the ENFit syringe to the bottle cap.
Turn the medication bottle upside down and draw up the required medication dose, as instructed by the health-care team.
Remove the syringe from the bottle by returning the bottle to an upright position. Carefully remove any air pockets from the syringe.
Note: Always confirm that the appropriate dose has been drawn up before giving it to the child. Ensure that the prescribed dose matches what has been drawn up in the syringe.
Flush the tube with water using an ENFit syringe, as instructed by your health-care team. This will help to prevent blockages when giving the medication.
Attach the syringe to your child’s ENFit feeding tube by removing the cap from the tube and gently twisting the syringe on to the feeding tube in a clockwise direction.
Note: Inspect the moat of the syringe (the open space inside the feeding tube connector) and the feeding tube to ensure it is clean before giving medication. Follow cleaning video for instructions or review the instructions below on how to clean the feeding tube moat.
Give medication at a rate your child can tolerate.
Note: After giving medications, always flush with water using an ENFit syringe, as instructed by your health-care team.
Disconnect the syringe by turning the syringe counterclockwise and put the feeding tube cap back on the tube.
Note: Inspect the moat and clean the tube after giving medications to prevent build up.
Clean and store the supplies as instructed by your health-care team.
Giving medications using an ENFit feeding tube and non-ENFit syringe
Supplies needed
Medication
ENFit bottle cap
Syringes
ENFit feeding tube
ENFit universal adaptor (to use non ENFit products on ENFit feeding tubes)
Instructions
Wash your hands thoroughly using soap and water.
Prepare medication as directed by your health-care team, using the non-ENFit syringe.
Flush the tube with water as instructed by your health-care team. This will help to prevent blockages when giving the medication.
Connect the ENFit universal adaptor to the ENFit tube by removing the cap from the tube and twisting the adaptor in a clockwise direction on to the feeding tube. Then, connect the non-ENFit syringe to the ENFit universal adaptor.
Give the medication at a rate your child can tolerate.
Note: After giving medications, always flush the tube with water as instructed by your health-care team.
Disconnect the syringe and the adaptor by twisting the adaptor in a counterclockwise direction. Put the cap back on the tube.
Note: Always disconnect the adaptor from your child’s feeding tube after use.
Inspect the moat (the open space inside the feeding tube connector) and clean the tube after giving medications to prevent build up.
Clean and store the supplies as instructed by your health-care team.
Giving feeds with an ENFit feeding tube
Supplies needed
Formula/feed
Feeding bag
ENFit syringes
ENFit feeding tube
Instructions
Wash your hands thoroughly using soap and water.
Place the desired amount of formula into the feeding bag.
Prime the feeding bag according to your health-care team's instructions.
Note: Prime only to the tip of the connector on the bag to help keep the moat clean.
Flush the tube with water as instructed by your health-care team. This will help to prevent blockages when giving feeds.
Connect the feeding bag to your child’s ENFit feeding tube by removing the cap from the tube and gently twisting the feeding bag connector onto the feeding tube in a clockwise direction until it is secure. Avoid overtightening the connection.
Note: Some older feeding bags will still have a white adaptor attached to use with non-ENFit feeding tubes. To use this bag for an ENFit feeding tube, twist off the white adaptor and then connect the bag to your child’s ENFit feeding tube.
Run the feed at the desired rate as instructed by your health-care team.
Once the feed has been completely administered through your child’s feeding tube, disconnect the feeding bag from the tube by twisting in a counter-clockwise direction.
Flush your child’s feeding tube with water and twist the cap back on the end of the feeding tube. Your health-care team will tell you how much water to flush your child’s tube with.
Inspect the moat (the open space inside the feeding tube connector) and clean the tube after every feed to prevent build up.
Clean and store the supplies as instructed by your health-care team.
Cleaning the feeding tube
Supplies needed
ENFit cleaning tool, or intradental brush, or toothbrush
ENFit syringe filled with water
ENFit feeding tube
Instructions
Wash your hands thoroughly using soap and water.
Clamp the feeding tube and forcefully flush the tube’s moat (the open space inside the feeding tube connector) with water while plugging the centre hole of the tube with your finger or thumb. It is important to plug the hole so that water does not get into the tube.
Connect the cleaning tool to the end of the feeding tube.
Note: If you do not have the ENFit cleaning tool, you can use a toothbrush or an intradental brush to clean the moat.
Twist back and forth to scrub the moat of the feeding tube.
Remove the cleaning tool and rinse with clean water. Pat the cleaning tool dry with a clean paper towel.
Ensure the tube is dry and secure the end by placing the feeding tube cap back on the tube.
Note: If the feeding tube is clogged with thick formula/medication, place the tip in warm water for a few minutes and then clean the end using the cleaning tool.
Clean and store the supplies as instructed by your health-care team.
