Unclogging the NG tube

I would like to begin first by saying that you should NEVER do this without a Radiologist in the room and the permission of the attending physician:

I worked at a facility that would notoriously receive patients for NG tube insertion under fluoroscopy, and within a day or two later, the same patient would return with a clogged tube. The attending physician usually placed orders for replacement, but it wasn't always necessary.

The Radiologist, after a brief phone call with the attending, would obtain permission and cross-reference the patient's chart for allergies. We would load a catheter-tipped syringe with about 30 cc's of Diet Sprite (or any soda without food coloring) and slowly inject into the clogged NG tube. The carbonation was sufficient enough to unclog all the gunk that collected in the tube. We called it the "roto-rooter" exam and about 90% of the time, it would unclog the tube.

Now, before anyone goes to try this... a couple of things should be mentioned: If there's a possibility of perforation of the stomach or esophagus, this should not be attempted. Keep the same contraindications that would be present for using double-contrast (fizzies) for your GI series. Any recent GI surgery would also contraindicate this. And I'll repeat; NEVER do this without consulting a physician.

Of course, the best way to unclog these tubes is preventative measures... make sure that you (or the nursing staff at your facility) always flush NG tubes after use.