Development and validation of ester impregnated pH strips for locating nasogastric feeding tubes in the stomach-a multicentre prospective diagnostic performance study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

NG (nasogastric) tubes are used worldwide as a means to provide enteral nutrition. Testing the pH of tube aspirates prior to feeding is commonly used to verify tube location before feeding or medication. A pH at or lower than 5.5 was taken as evidence for stomach intubation. However, the existing standard pH strips lack sensitivity, especially in patients receiving feeding and antacids medication. We developed and validated a first-generation ester-impregnated pH strip test to improve the accuracy towards gastric placements in adult population receiving routine NG-tube feeding. The sensitivity was improved by its augmentation with the action of human gastric lipase (HGL), an enzyme specific to the stomach.

Methods

We carried out a multi-centred, prospective, two-g

SUBMITTER: Ni M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8670038 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature