Nasogastric/nasoenteric tube-related adverse events: an integrative review.
Ana Paula Gobbo Motta, Mayara Carvalho Godinho Rigobello, Renata Cristina de Campos Pereira Silveira and 1 others
PMID 33439952WHAT IT FOUND
In adults with nasogastric/nasoenteric tubes, respiratory complications were most common, including pneumothorax and deaths.
The review recommends x-ray or pH testing, not auscultation or bubbles, to confirm blind tube placement before feeding or medication.
Key findings
01Forty-four included articles reported respiratory complications, the largest adverse-event category.
02Death was reported in 16 articles, and ten studies reported deaths after incorrect insertion of the tube into the lungs.
03Enteral feed or medication was accidentally connected to venous catheters in reported cases, causing bloodstream administration; one patient died.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only free articles were included, so relevant paid studies may be missing. Patient characteristics such as age, inpatient unit and time of tube use were not considered. Most included articles were classified as level VI evidence, and the review did not compare tube-fed patients with patients without tubes. The review describes reported events and guideline recommendations, not a tested intervention to prevent them.
Declared interests
The review was extracted from a master's thesis at Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, and was financed in part by CAPES, Finance Code 001, Grant # 1601040, Brazil.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the verification methods as proven by this review to prevent adverse events. The review describes tube-related events and guideline recommendations, not a tested intervention.