Use of pH Testing to Confirm Feeding Tube Placement: A Quality Improvement Project.
Background: Chest radiography confirms initial nasogastric tube placement but is impractical for repeated verification during feeding and medication administration. Local Problem: Nasogastric tube placement verification practices on the neuroscience unit delayed feedings and medication administratio...
| Publicado en: | Critical Care Nurse Vol. 46; no. 4; pp. 36 - 44 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , |
| Formato: | research Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
Aug2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=195842466&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 195842466 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 02795442 1GD jtl: Critical Care Nurse issn: 02795442 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Aug2026 vid: 46 iid: 4 pid: 2559 pub: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses place: Alisa Veijo, California artinfo: ui: 195842466 195842466 195842466 10.4037/ccn2026129 195842466 ppf: 36 ppct: 8 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Use of pH Testing to Confirm Feeding Tube Placement: A Quality Improvement Project. aug: au: Castro, Emily Aguila, Lovelyn Joy Langan, Ann Shuriah-Graham, Melissa Grassi, Diane Brown, Lavern Hernandez, Shalesha Yun, Soon Yong Jacob, Ani affil: Emily Castro is a clinical professional development educator, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New York sug: subj: Hydrogen-Ion Concentration Nasoenteral Tubes Tube Placement Determination Quality Improvement Gastrointestinal Contents Intubation, Gastrointestinal Radiography, Thoracic Human Enteral Nutrition Patient Safety Stroke Brain Neoplasms ab: Background: Chest radiography confirms initial nasogastric tube placement but is impractical for repeated verification during feeding and medication administration. Local Problem: Nasogastric tube placement verification practices on the neuroscience unit delayed feedings and medication administration due to radiograph interpretation and physician order wait times. The aim of this quality improvement project was to assess feasibility, usability, and adoption of gastric aspirate pH testing and tube length measurement for ongoing nasogastric tube placement verification after initial chest radiography confirmation. Methods: The Stevens Star Model of Knowledge Transformation guided this project and involved assessing relevance and feasibility of the practice change, developing an action plan, implementing the intervention, and evaluating the results. The quality improvement intervention was to use gastric aspirate pH testing along with distal tube length measurement at the nostril exit site, rather than gastric auscultation, for ongoing nasogastric tube placement verification. Results: With 100% staff compliance with workflow and process measures, the project was feasible and usable. A total of 141 gastric aspirate samples were tested over 6 months. Gastric placement was confirmed (pH ≤5.5) in 131 samples. Ten of the 141 samples had a pH of greater than 5.5, indicating placement not confirmed. Postimplementation surveys indicated that staff nurses accepted the practice change. Conclusion: Gastric aspirate pH testing along with tube length measurement is feasible and effective for ongoing nasogastric tube placement verification in patients with stroke and other neurological conditions. The next step is to incorporate suggested process improvements into the next practice change cycle. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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