Ultrasound to Check the Nasogastric Tube Position to Improve Patient Management and Safety

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate whether ultrasound can reliably confirm the correct placement of a nasogastric tube (NGT) without needing other diagnostic tests. The NGT is commonly used in clinical practice for delivering nutrition, medication, or for gastric decompression, but it remains an invasive procedure with risks. The study focuses on patients who had an NGT placed during surgery, investigating if ultrasound can quickly and accurately verify tube position to possibly replace chest X-rays in the immediate postoperative period. The study involves 114 patients divided into two groups: 57 patients with an NGT and 57 without. Both groups will undergo ultrasound examinations shortly after surgery to assess the presence or correct placement of the NGT. Patients with an NGT will have had its position confirmed by chest X-ray beforehand. The examiner performing the ultrasound will only have access to the patient's abdomen and will not know which patients have an NGT. The study evaluates ultrasound as a noninvasive, rapid, and accessible method to improve patient safety and management. Participants will be monitored in the immediate postoperative period with ultrasound assessments focused on confirming normoposition of the NGT within the first postoperative hour. The study measures how often ultrasound can accurately confirm correct tube placement. Patients must provide informed consent, and safety is monitored by excluding those with contraindications to NGT placement. The trial aims to determine if chest X-rays can be avoided, simplifying and speeding up postoperative care.

Ultrasound to Check the Position of the Nasogastric Tube