title: [Anthropometric measures for the introduction of the nasogastric tube for enteral nutrition employing the esophagogastroduodenoscopy].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The correct placement of a nasogastric tube for enteral nutrition is subject of several investigations, demonstrating the controversy of the procedure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To establish an external measure that can correspond to the internal measurement which determines the insertion length of nasogastric feeding tube up to the stomach.
  
  
  METHODS
  External measures were obtained between points: nose tip vs earlobe vs xiphoid appendix vs umbilicus and height correlated with the standard measures obtained from patients undergoing diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found a significative statistical correlation between esophagogastric junction, identified during the esophagogastroduodenoscopy, with the distance measured between the anatomic points of the earlobe and xiphoid appendix (r= 0.75) and from this line with the orthostatic height (r=0.72).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The distance between the earlobe to the xiphoid appendix (0.75) and the distance between the earlobe to the xiphoid appendix to the midpoint of the umbilicus, subtracting the distance from tip of nose to earlobe, were safe anatomical parameters to reach the esophagogastric junction. The height in the standing position (r= 0.72) also can be used as an indicator of the length necessary to insert the tube into the stomach. The height in the standing position (r= 0.72) also can be used as an indicator of the length necessary to insert the tube into the stomach.
authors.affiliation: Departamentos de Enfermagem e Cirurgia e Gastrocentro, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Unicamp, Campinas, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Monica Alexandre
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Malta
authors.forename: Antonio Franco de
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Carvalho-Junior
authors.forename: Nelson Adami
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Andreollo
authors.forename: Maria Isabel Pedreira de
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Freitas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D004431:Ear, External; D016145:Endoscopy, Digestive System; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D004947:Esophagus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013270:Stomach; D014472:Umbilicus; D014989:Xiphoid Bone; D055815:Young Adult