Development of a clinical practice guideline for testing nasogastric tube placement.
OBJECTIVE
A Perth metropolitan hospital group standardized changes to nasogastric tube placement, including removal of the "whoosh test" and litmus paper, and introduction of pH testing.


METHODS
Two audits were conducted: bedside data collection at a pediatric hospital and a point-prevalence audit across seven hospitals.


RESULTS
Aspirate was obtained for 97% of all tests and pH was < or = 5.5 for 84%, validating the practice changes. However, patients on continuous feeds and/or receiving acid-inhibiting medications had multiple pH testing fails.


CONCLUSIONS
Nasogastric tube placement continues to present a challenge for those high-risk patients on continuous feeds and/or receiving acid-inhibiting medications.
Peter
Sue
S
Ambulatory Care, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Child & Adolescent Health Service, Subiaco, Perth, WA, Australia. sue.peter@health.wa.gov.au
Gill
Fenella
F
D002648:Child; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing / Q000592:standards; D008485:Medical Audit; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment