Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 84%
Simulated
A nurse is caring for a patient who receives intermittent enteral feedings through an NG tube. Before administering a feeding,the nurse should measure the gastric residual for which of the following purposes?
Correct answer
D
Rationale
The correct answer is D: To identify delayed gastric emptying. Measuring gastric residual helps assess how well the stomach is emptying after a feeding, indicating delayed gastric emptying. This is important to prevent complications like aspiration. Choice A is incorrect because measuring gastric residual does not directly assess electrolyte balance. Choice B is incorrect as confirming NG tube placement is typically done with an X-ray. Choice C is incorrect as measuring gastric residual does not remove gastric acid.