title: Effectiveness of post-pyloric tube placement using magnetic guidance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Appropriate nutritional support is important to the outcomes of critically ill patients. However, a significant portion of these patients experience intestinal motility problems. Administration of enteral nutrition by means of tubes placed in the post-pyloric position has been suggested to improve the nutrition tolerance. The aim of this study was to compare the rate of successful post-pyloric placement using a real-time electromagnetic positioning device to the success rate using the conventional placement method.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective, randomized and controlled study, conducted in a tertiary hospital over a period of three months. The patients were randomized to one of two groups: electromagnetically guided system group, whose patients underwent real-time monitoring of post-pyloric tube placement; or the control group, whose patients underwent tube placment using to the conventional blinded technique. The rates of successful post-pyloric placement and the procedure times were assessed and compared between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-seven patients were enrolled, 18 in the electromagnetic group and 19 in the control group. The final tube position was evaluated using radiography. The electromagnetic guided group showed better success rates and shorter procedure times when compared to the control group. Additionally, in the electromagnetic guided group, higher pH values were found in the fluids aspirated from the probe, suggesting successful postpyloric placement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The electromagnetically guided method provided better placement accuracy than did the conventional technique.
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual Francisco Morato de Oliveira, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Renata Andrea Pietro Pereira
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Viana
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual Francisco Morato de Oliveira, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ederlon
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rezende
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual Francisco Morato de Oliveira, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria Aparecida Oliveira
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual Francisco Morato de Oliveira, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Carla Marta da
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual Francisco Morato de Oliveira, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Miguel Costa
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ribeiro Neto
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual Francisco Morato de Oliveira, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Tatiane Akemi
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Setoyama
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual Francisco Morato de Oliveira, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: João Manoel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Silva Junior
authors.affiliation: Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual Francisco Morato de Oliveira, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Amanda Maria Ribas Rosa de
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Oliveira