What should the nurse do to verify nasogastric (NG) tube placement? (Select all that apply. )

A) Ask the patient to speak.
B) Inspect the posterior pharynx.
C) Aspirate back on the syringe.
D) Obtain an x-ray of the placement.
E) Auscultate the lung fields.

While a radiographic examination is the gold standard to verify NG tube placement,there are several steps the nurse can take to gauge correct placement.Ask the patient to speak.If the patient is unable to speak,the NG tube may have passed through the vocal cords.Inspect the posterior pharynx for the presence of a coiled tube.The tube is pliable and will coil up behind the pharynx instead of advancing into the esophagus.Aspirate gently back on the syringe to obtain gastric contents,observing color.Gastric contents are usually cloudy and green but sometimes are off-white,tan,bloody,or brown.Aspiration of contents provides the means to measure fluid pH and thus determine tube tip placement in the GI tract.