Association between nasogastric tube insertion and aspiration pneumonia in drug intoxication / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The clinical usefulness of nasogastric tube insertion in poisoning patients is controversial. This study compared the incidence of aspiration pneumonia between patients with or without nasogastric tubes. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical reports of poisoning patients seen from January 2006 to December 2007. We classified the patients into groups with and without nasogastric tube insertion and evaluated the incidence and risk factors of aspiration pneumonia. RESULTS: Ultimately, 63 patients were included. The incidence of aspiration pneumonia was higher in patients with nasogastric tube insertion than in patients without nasogastric tube insertion (conscious patients 58.8% vs. 11.8%, p=0.010; unconscious patients 72.2% vs. 27.3%, p=0.027). Nasogastric tube insertion was a significant risk factor for developing aspiration pneumonia (odds ratio 3.54; 95% confidence interval 1.74~12.34). CONCLUSIONS: Nasogastric tube insertion did not prevent aspiration pneumonia, but was a risk factor. The results have implications in the development of a hypothesis about why a nasogastric tube increases the risk of aspiration pneumonia. This study has important limitations stemming mostly from other compounding factors and its retrospective design.