NCLEX RN Exam Questions Practice Question
A 47-year-old client has been admitted to the general surgery unit for bowel obstruction. The doctor has ordered that an NG tube be inserted to aid in bowel decompression. When preparing to insert a NG tube, the nurse measures from the:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: This measurement is ~50 cm (48-49 cm). Fifty centimeters is considered the length necessary for the distal end of the tube to be in place in the stomach. This measurement is too short. This measurement is ~50 cm (47-48 cm). Fifty centimeters is considered the length necessary for the distal end of the tube to be in place in the stomach. This measurement is too short. This measurement gives an approximate indication of the length necessary for the distal end of the tube to be in place in the stomach, but it is not as accurate as actually measuring the client (nose-ear-xiphoid). This is the correct measurement of 50 cm from the tip of the client's nose to the tip of the earlobe to the xiphoid process (called the NEX [nose-ear-xiphoid] measurement). It is approximately equal to the distance necessary for the distal end of the tube to be located in the correct position in the stomach.
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