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A Research Study to Test (2) Two Different Types of Feeding Tubes Used in the Intensive Care Unit

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
no Primary Disease; ICU Patient Who Require Enteral Nutrition
Registration Number
NCT00245687
Lead Sponsor
Thomas Jefferson University
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare the success rates of two types of feeding tubes, specifically the standard gastric feeding tube to a small bowel feeding tube.

Detailed Description

Enteral nutrition has many advantages for critically ill patients including lower incidence of infections and a reduced hospital stay, however it is controversial whether enteral feeding via small bowel feeding tubes offers an advantage over gastric feeding tubes in terms of reducing aspiration risk, improving feeding tolerance or ensuring quicker attainment of nutritional goals. The advantages of a small bowel feeding tube over a gastric feeding tube is thought to be related to its post pyloric position, however the insertion of small bowel feeding tubes is technically challenging (most studies report a success rate of 15-30%), can take time and has complications not unlike those of the gastric feeding tube. Our hypothesis is that the small bowel feeding tube offers an advantage to the gastric feeding tube due to its ability to achieve post pyloric placement. Specifically we chose to compare the standard gastric feeding tube (Dubhoff) to a small bowel feeding tube which offers the advantage of having alternating flaps which allows the gut to drag this tube into the small bowel.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
60
Inclusion Criteria
  • all ICU patients requiring enteral nutrition
Exclusion Criteria
  • coagulopathy, esophageal or gastric, surgery, varices, trauma, ulcer, structure, rupture

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
success in placing feeding tube
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
- rate of reaching nutritional goal, aspiration pneumonia, feeding tolerance, and pre-albumin

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital - MRICU

🇺🇸

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

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