If you are a caregiver for someone who has a Gastrostomy Tube there are some basic duties and tasks that need to be performed. On this page, you can learn how to dress the G-Tube stoma site.
Maintain Standard Precaution for G-Tube Related Tasks
Before beginning any G-Tube related tasks, make sure to do at least one of the following:
- Wear gloves
- Wash hands for at least 20 seconds
- Use hand sanitizer and rub until dry
Step 1 - Gather Supplies
- Normal saline or tap water
- 2×2 gauze
- 4 pieces of paper tape (this type of tape is less adhesive on the skin)
- Swabs
Step 2 - Make Note of the Stoma Site
- Make sure the skin is clean, dry, and intact
- Stomach content can come out and erode the skin at the stoma site causing skin breakdown
- If you see this is happening or the skin is red or inflamed:
- Clean the site with normal saline
- Dress it
- Call your physician to have it assessed
Step 3 - Clean the Stoma Site
- Remove any old dressing
- Take one of the swabs and dip it in normal saline or water
- Clean around the site with the swab
- Pat the area dry
Step 4 - Dress the Site
- Take the 2×2 gauze and place it around the stoma
- We recommend using paper tape and placing four pieces on the 2×2 gauze – one on each side of the gauze
- You can tape the gauze in whatever way works the best
- You can use as much tape as needed to help the gauze stay secure
