nancyrulka
11-04-2001, 01:50 PM
>C6-7 injury on 9-2-01, 43 yr old male, transferred to rehab from trauma on
>10-9. Presently receiving most nutrition from feeding tube. Problem:
>Esophageal spasm. Have had 2 videos and GI series, problem is not in the
>throat. Rotagen prescribed, no help, patient still choking frequently on
>pureed foods. Now nitroglyercin is being tried as ONLY alternative. If you
>know of an alternate remedy, please advise.
>Thank You
Tobyk9,
I assume that you are the caretaker, nurse, or doctor. I don't have
much direct experience with feeding tubes and can only comment
theoretically.
Assuming that there is no esophageal stenosis and no history of
gastroesophageal reflux before injury, I would suggest two relatively
straightforward solutions, if you have not tried them.
1. Most esophageal spasms occur because of irritation by the feeding
tube. If you are using polyvinyl tubes, you should perhaps switch to
silicon tubing which are softer and less irritating.
2. Usually nitroglycerin should help. Calcium channel blockers are
sometimes useful for reducing the spasms. I don't know Rotagen at
all and cannot comment.
You may want to post this in the Care Forum to ask our SCI-Nurses
whether they know of some solution.
Wise.
Wise Young PhD MD, Professor II & Director
W M Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience
Rutgers, State University of New Jersey
604 Allison Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8082
tel: 732/445-2061, fax: 732/445-2063
email: wisey@pipeline.com, young@biology.rutgers.edu
web: http://carecure.rutgers.edu, http://sciwire.com
>10-9. Presently receiving most nutrition from feeding tube. Problem:
>Esophageal spasm. Have had 2 videos and GI series, problem is not in the
>throat. Rotagen prescribed, no help, patient still choking frequently on
>pureed foods. Now nitroglyercin is being tried as ONLY alternative. If you
>know of an alternate remedy, please advise.
>Thank You
Tobyk9,
I assume that you are the caretaker, nurse, or doctor. I don't have
much direct experience with feeding tubes and can only comment
theoretically.
Assuming that there is no esophageal stenosis and no history of
gastroesophageal reflux before injury, I would suggest two relatively
straightforward solutions, if you have not tried them.
1. Most esophageal spasms occur because of irritation by the feeding
tube. If you are using polyvinyl tubes, you should perhaps switch to
silicon tubing which are softer and less irritating.
2. Usually nitroglycerin should help. Calcium channel blockers are
sometimes useful for reducing the spasms. I don't know Rotagen at
all and cannot comment.
You may want to post this in the Care Forum to ask our SCI-Nurses
whether they know of some solution.
Wise.
Wise Young PhD MD, Professor II & Director
W M Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience
Rutgers, State University of New Jersey
604 Allison Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8082
tel: 732/445-2061, fax: 732/445-2063
email: wisey@pipeline.com, young@biology.rutgers.edu
web: http://carecure.rutgers.edu, http://sciwire.com