Nasogastric tube aspirate pH values associated with typical enteral feeding patterns in infants admitted to an NICU

In the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), nasogastric tubes (NGT) are used primarily for the initiation and progression of enteral feeds but may also be used for gastric decompression. Safe and effective functioning of the NGT is ensured by achieving and maintaining the correct intragastric position. In the last year there have been a number ofwarnings about the use of litmus paper as ameans for assessing NGT position (Scottish Executive, Learning points