Technical criteria for nasogastric tubes for enteral nutrition: Nurse's, doctor's and pharmacist's opinions

Objectives. - They were to determine and grade criteria of choice of a nasogastric tube (NGT) for enteral nutrition through its technical characteristics. Materials and methods. - A multidisciplinary group was created including a nurse, a physician experienced in artificial nutrition and two pharmacists. Different technical criteria of NGT were defined, analyzed, and then ranked according to the literature data, the specifications from manufacturers and healthcare professional's feedback. Results. - The ideal NGT should be in polyurethane, pre-lubricated, and should integrate ballast, of which weight must be sufficient to hold it in place and to be well tolerated by the patient during the positioning. The configuration of the distal openings such "multiple holes" was thought as optimal to prevent the obstruction. Length, graduations and units indicated on the tube were critical to the positioning and the control of the correct position during the utilization. The proximal identification should optimize the way new teams take over patient care in new wards after patient transfer. Finally, a package with a clear and accurate labelling was a help for caregivers. The heterogeneity of the data provided by manufacturers and the diversity of available references were also observed. Conclusion. - This collaborative work defined and optimized technical characteristics of nasogastric tube. This focus allowed us to choose our nasogastric tubes in the context of patients' security. This collaborative approach allowed to reference new medical devices according to the clinicians and nurse's needs and to secure the patient's care. (C) 2016 Association pour le developpement de la recherche en nutrition (ADREN). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.