What is the highest priority nursing intervention to reduce aspiration risk for a patient with a jejunostomy tube?

Positioning the patient in semi-Fowler's after feedings is the highest priority nursing intervention to reduce aspiration risk for a patient with a jejunostomy tube. This specific position helps facilitate proper gastric emptying and minimizes the likelihood of the contents from the jejunostomy tube traveling back up into the esophagus, which can lead to aspiration.

After feeding, having the patient at a semi-Fowler's position, typically between 30 to 45 degrees, aids in promoting comfort and enhancing digestion while providing an appropriate angle to prevent the backflow of gastric contents. Aspiration pneumonia can be a serious complication for patients with feeding tubes, so this intervention significantly reduces that risk.

The other interventions, while important, do not directly address aspiration risk in the same way. Flushing the tubing helps prevent clogging and ensure the tube remains patent, but it does not influence the positioning that significantly impacts aspiration risk. Regular blood glucose monitoring is critical for managing the patient's metabolic status, particularly in those receiving enteral feedings, but it does not relate to the physical positioning that can prevent aspiration. Positioning the patient in a left-lying position may not be beneficial for aspiration prevention across all patients, as it does not inherently facilitate proper stomach drainage as