Follow-up of patients with nasogastric tube who were hospitalized in a long-term care hospital to analyze the current situation and role of nasogastric tube placement
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: AIMS: We examined patients with nasogastric tube who were hospitalized in a long-term care hospital from 2018-2023 to analyze the current situation and role of nasogastric tube placement. METHODS: Patients with nasogastric tube were divided into three groups; cured (n=75), transferred (n=61) and deceased (n=168).Sex, average age, length of stay, and history of aspiration pneumonia were compared between the transferred and deceased groups. RESULTS: Younger patients were easier to treat and their length of hospital stay became shorter. In the cured and deceased groups, 8% and 50.6% of patients, respectively, had aspiration pneumonia, which amounted to a statistically significant difference.In the deceased group, aspiration pneumonia was the direct cause of death in 41.7% of cases. CONCLUSION: Although nasogastric tube placement does not involve surgery and is easy to interrupt and resume, it has many disadvantages.The enteral nutrition guidelines state that, "If tube feeding is short-term, nasal access is chosen. If it is long-term for > 4 weeks, gastrostomy is the first choice, if possible." When there is a low risk of aspiration pneumonia, short-term nasogastric tube feeding must be attempted before proceeding to gastrostomy.
Authors: Mototaka Niwano, Hayao Nakatani
Language: English
Subfield: Nutrition and Dietetics
Field: Nursing
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7119153065