Efficacy of a gastric tube insertion guide for insertion of a nasogastric tube: a prospective, randomized controlled clinical study

Purpose The gastric tube insertion guide (Fuji Medical, Tokyo, Japan) has been developed to facilitate insertion of a nasogastric tube.As a randomized controlled study, we compared the success rate of insertion of a nasogastric tube between the use of this guide, a blind method, and the lateral neck pressure method.Methods Sixty patients were randomly allocated to the blind technique group (Group B), the lateral neck pressure technique group (Group L), and the guide technique group (Group G).After induction of general anesthesia and tracheal intubation, we attempted to insert a nasogastric tube by the allocated method.Primary outcome measure was the success rate of insertion of a nasogastric tube within 300 seconds. ResultsThe success rate in Group G (19 of 20 patients) was significantly higher than Group L (13 of 20 patients) (P = 0.04; 95% confidence intervals for difference: 16-44%), and than Group B (11 of 19 patients) (P = 0.008; 23-50%).There was no significant difference in insertion time between the groups, but in patients in whom insertion was successful, it was significantly longer in Group G (median of 147 seconds) than in Group L (66 seconds) (P < 0.01) and Group B (46 seconds) (P < 0.01).Minor complications occurred in 2 patients in Group B, 1 in Group L, and 5 in Group G (P > 0.05). ConclusionWe conclude that the gastric tube insertion guide (Fuji Medical, Tokyo, Japan) may be useful when the conventional method of insertion has failed.