Evaluation of nasogastric tube fixation methods: adhesion, displacement and skin integrity

Objective: to evaluate three methods of nasogastric tube fixation in terms of adhesion, displacement and skin integrity. Method: ex vivo study, with a sample of 30 experimental noses (10 for each type of fixation), developed with porcine skin, based on the average measurements of the human nose, in which 14-gauge polyvinyl chloride probes were inserted and 2 methods of fixation with adhesive tape (Fixation A and B) and one with an industrial device (Fixation C) were used. Each group was exposed to traction of 50, 100 and 500g sequentially over 12 and 24 hours, testing: adhesion capacity, probe displacement and skin integrity. The Chi-square test of independence was calculated for nominal variables and Student's t-tests and analysis of variance (p< 0.05) for rational variables. Results: fixation B showed lower adhesion capacity (p <0.001) when compared to the other two fixations. A mean displacement of 52.17 mm was observed in the probes fixed by methods A and B and a greater occurrence of lesions associated with fixations A and C (p = 0.001). Conclusion: the results show complications related to the fixations: lack of adhesion, displacement of the probe and skin lesions, drawing attention to the complexity of the procedure.