title: Prophylactic Nasogastric Decompression for Routine Gastrectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the necessity of using nasogastric tubes for patients with gastrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A non-randomized controlled trial with two arms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sichuan Provincial Peoples' Hospital, China, from February 2012 to January 2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty one patients undergoing gastrectomy were assigned into intubation group and control group based on patient's own will. The intubation group was intubated with a nasogastric tube before operation and extubated at the earliest evidence of passed flatus. Clinical outcomes, such as operation time, bleeding volume, time to passage of flatus, postoperative complications, and length of stay were recorded and compared between the two groups along with patient characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two groups did not differ in patient characteristics with similar distribution of gender, age, diagnosis, tumor location and operation type. Nasogastric intubation before surgery was not associated with statistically significant difference in total surgery duration, bleeding volume of operation or postoperative complications. In addition, patients without nasogastric tubes resumed oral diet earlier (52.5 ± 14.1 vs.18.4 ± 2.0 hours, p < 0.05) and had shorter time to first passage of flatus (43.8 ± 11.2 vs. 49.0 ± 13.3 hours, p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is safe to give up nasogastric intubation for patients undergoing elective gastrectomy and may even result in a better patient outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Sichuan Provincial Peoples' Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Hui
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.affiliation: Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan Integrative Medicine Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Transitional Care Center, Sichuan Provincial Peoples' Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Fen
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Sichuan Provincial Peoples' Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome