Sonography as an alternative to radiography for nasogastric feeding tube location.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate bedside sonographic confirmation of weighted-tip nasogastric feeding tube position, by comparison to radiography.


METHODS
Single-center, double-blind prospective study in a 14-bed medical intensive care unit (ICU) in a 780-bed teaching hospital.


METHODS
Thirty-three ICU patients undergoing nasogastric tube insertion for enteral feeding.


METHODS
The tip of the nasogastric tube was located both by sonography and standard radiography.


RESULTS
The accuracy and procedure times of sonography and radiography for nasogastric tube tip location were compared during 35 procedures in 33 patients. The nasogastric tube tip was visualized by sonography in 34 of 35 procedures (sensitivity 97%) and by radiography in all procedures. The median length of the entire procedure was 24 min and 180 min with sonography and radiography, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Bedside sonography performed by nonradiologists is a sensitive method for confirming the position of weighted-tip feeding nasogastric feeding tubes. It is more rapid than conventional radiography and can easily be taught to ICU physicians. Conventional radiography could be reserved for cases in which sonography is inconclusive.
Vigneau
Cécile
C
Service de Réanimation Médicale, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 184 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75571, Paris Cedex 12, France.
Baudel
Jean-Luc
JL
Guidet
Bertrand
B
Offenstadt
Georges
G
Maury
Eric
E
D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D014463:Ultrasonography