Emergency department approach to gastric tube complications: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract Nasogastric and orogastric tubes (NG/OGT) are commonly used in emergency and critical care settings, with indications including medicinal administration, gastric decompression, and enteral feeding. Previous studies have highlighted a variety of complications associated with tube placement. These range from minor occurrences such as nose bleeds and sinusitis, to more severe cases highlighting tracheobronchial perforation, tube knotting, asphyxia, pulmonary aspiration, pneumothorax, and even intracranial insertion. Patients who suffer from these complications face additional obstacles including increased time spent in intensive care settings, healthcare associated costs, and nosocomial infections. Various bedside tests have been developed to reduce the risk of these complications, and current clinical protocol has characterized radiographic imaging as the gold standard. However, air insufflation, CO2 detection (capnography), aspirate pH testing, and point of care ultrasound (POCUS) have all been implemented with varying degrees of utility. Here we present a case involving a 60-year-old male who was brought to the ED and suffered from a right sided pneumothorax (PTX) following improper OGT placement. In this case air insufflation was utilized but was ineffective in detecting the properly placed tube; leakage of an endotracheal tube cuff served as a lead for misplacement while imaging was conducted. The purpose of this study is not only to highlight the numerous complications that are possible with NG and OGT placement, but also to propose the use of multiple bedside tests (pH testing, CO2 detection, POCUS) as an alternative to radiographic imaging to increase sensitivity and specificity for detection of improperly placed tubes.