Bedside Abdominal Ultrasound in Evaluating Nasogastric Tube Placement: A Multicenter, Prospective, Cohort Study.
accuracy
chest radiography
management
nasogastric tube
positioning
ultrasound
Journal
Chest
ISSN: 1931-3543
Titre abrégé: Chest
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0231335
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
06 2021
06 2021
Historique:
received:
15
04
2020
revised:
12
01
2021
accepted:
14
01
2021
pubmed:
6
2
2021
medline:
21
10
2021
entrez:
5
2
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Chest radiography is universally accepted as the method of choice to confirm correct positioning of a nasogastric tube (NGT). Considering also that radiation exposure could increase with multiple insertions in a single patient, bedside abdominal ultrasound (BAU) may be a potentially useful alternative to chest radiography in the management of NGTs. What is the accuracy of BAU in confirming the correct positioning of an NGT? After a specific course consisting of 10 h of training, the authors studied, in a prospective multicenter cohort, the validity of BAU to confirm correct NGT placement. All patients were also evaluated by auscultation (whoosh test) and by chest radiography. Every involved operator was blind to each other. Interobserver agreement and accuracy analyses were calculated. This study evaluated 606 consecutive inpatients with an indication for NGT insertion. Eighty patients were excluded for protocol violation or incomplete examinations and 526 were analyzed. BAU was positive, negative, and inconclusive in 415 (78.9%), 71 (13.5%), and 40 (7.6%), respectively. The agreement between BAU and chest radiography was excellent. Excluding inconclusive results, BAU had a sensitivity of 99.8% (99.3%-100%), a specificity of 91.0% (88.5%-93.6%), a positive predictive value of 98.3% (97.2%-99.5%), and a negative predictive value of 98.6% (97.6%-99.7%). The accuracy of BAU slightly changed according to the different assignments of the uncertain cases and was improved by the exclusion of patients with an altered level of consciousness. These results suggest that BAU has a good positive predictive value and may confirm the correct placement of NGTs when compared with chest radiography. However, considering its suboptimal specificity, caution is necessary before implementing this technique in clinical practice.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Chest radiography is universally accepted as the method of choice to confirm correct positioning of a nasogastric tube (NGT). Considering also that radiation exposure could increase with multiple insertions in a single patient, bedside abdominal ultrasound (BAU) may be a potentially useful alternative to chest radiography in the management of NGTs.
RESEARCH QUESTION
What is the accuracy of BAU in confirming the correct positioning of an NGT?
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS
After a specific course consisting of 10 h of training, the authors studied, in a prospective multicenter cohort, the validity of BAU to confirm correct NGT placement. All patients were also evaluated by auscultation (whoosh test) and by chest radiography. Every involved operator was blind to each other. Interobserver agreement and accuracy analyses were calculated.
RESULTS
This study evaluated 606 consecutive inpatients with an indication for NGT insertion. Eighty patients were excluded for protocol violation or incomplete examinations and 526 were analyzed. BAU was positive, negative, and inconclusive in 415 (78.9%), 71 (13.5%), and 40 (7.6%), respectively. The agreement between BAU and chest radiography was excellent. Excluding inconclusive results, BAU had a sensitivity of 99.8% (99.3%-100%), a specificity of 91.0% (88.5%-93.6%), a positive predictive value of 98.3% (97.2%-99.5%), and a negative predictive value of 98.6% (97.6%-99.7%). The accuracy of BAU slightly changed according to the different assignments of the uncertain cases and was improved by the exclusion of patients with an altered level of consciousness.
INTERPRETATION
These results suggest that BAU has a good positive predictive value and may confirm the correct placement of NGTs when compared with chest radiography. However, considering its suboptimal specificity, caution is necessary before implementing this technique in clinical practice.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33545162
pii: S0012-3692(21)00215-4
doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2021.01.058
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Multicenter Study
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
2366-2372Commentaires et corrections
Type : CommentIn
Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2021 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.