Nasogastric tube placement verification

[Salma]

Hi all
how are you doing naso/orogastric tube placement verification in your unit?
We're stll doing the auscultation technique is this still a valid tool?
regards

[JACK]

Thought this would be relevant here:

de Boer JC, Smit BJ, Mainous RO. Nasogastric tube position and intragastric air collection in a neonatal intensive care population. Adv Neonatal Care. 2009 Dec;9(6):293-8.

LINK (http://journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2009&issue=12000&article=00009&type=abstract)

[JoannieO]

Hi there,

In our unit the practice is to aspirate a small amount of stomach contents and test with litmus paper - as a general rule the stomach contents should be acidic. This is not foolproof but we have found it to be more accurate than auscultation.
Regards

[jriley]

We are no longer permitted to use litmus paper in the UK. We use pH indicators which look a bit like urine dipstix. The pH must be 5 or less to verify acidity of stomach contents. Litmus paper only indicates Ph <7.

Incidentally, we would NEVER use auscultation to verify position of gastric tube.

See:- Freer,Y., Lyon,A.(2005) Nasogastric tube aspirate pH values associated with typical enteral feeding patterns in infants admitted to an NICU.Journal of Neonatal Nursing.11(3)106-109.

[karen rosher]

We use the auscultation method and measuring. I like to see gastric content also.

[Salma]

Hi , thanks for the feedback
please can you send me the link plz
Regards

[kpsanghvi]

We place it and aspirate. If secretions are aspirated it is assumed to be in the stomach. No auscultation or litmus testing for us