Innovative strategy to improve enteral nutrition in prone positioning with patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Enteral nutrition is essential to improve outcomes in patients who are critically ill. Patients in the prone position, including those diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) present additional challenges for enteral nutrition initiation. METHODS: A novel technique for placing feeding tubes while in the prone position was developed using an electromagnetic placement device and specialty trained clinical nurse specialists. Data were assessed retrospectively to determine effectiveness of this new practice. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients had feeding tubes placed while in the prone position; 75% were able to be placed through the postpyloric route, 22% were placed through the gastric route, and 3% unable to be placed. Use of this technique facilitated earlier initiation of feedings by 2 days from time of admission and almost half a day from intubation to feeding. There was no additional radiation exposure from using this technique. CONCLUSION: Ability to place feeding tubes early while patients were prone reduced delays for starting enteral nutrition. Patients with COVID-19 in the prone position were able to receive effective nutrition support earlier with no additional complications.

Using an Electromagnetic Guidance System for Placement of Small-Bowel Feeding Tubes to Reduce Feeding Start Times.

BACKGROUND: Cardiothoracic surgery patients have an increased risk for aspiration and may require enteral access for nutrition. LOCAL PROBLEM: In a cardiothoracic intensive care unit, feeding start times were delayed because of scheduling conflicts with support services. An electromagnetic device (Cortrak 2 Enteral Access System, Avanos Medical) was introduced to allow advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) to independently establish postpyloric access and reduce dependence on ancillary services. METHODS: A quality improvement study was performed. Pre- and postimplementation data included order time, service arrival, tube placement time, tube positioning, and feeding start times for 207 placements. Pre- and postimplementation surveys were conducted to evaluate advanced practice provider satisfaction with enteral tube placement practices. RESULTS: Feeding start time for initial placement decreased by 35.5% (15.6 hours to 10 hours); for subsequent placement, by 55.2% (15.5 hours to 7.0 hours). Assistance by support services decreased by 80.4% (before implementation, 100 of 100 placements [100%]; after implementation, 21 of 107 placements [19.6%]; P < .001; ϕ = 0.815). Overall, advanced practice provider satisfaction increased. Most participants said that using the electromagnetic device was faster, nutrition was delivered sooner, and implementation was a valuable practice change. CONCLUSIONS: Using an electromagnetic device decreased feeding start times, reduced the need for support services, and increased advanced practice provider satisfaction with small-bowel feeding tube placement practices.

Nasogastric tube in mechanical ventilated patients: ETCO2 and pH measuring to confirm correct placement. A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Nasogastric tube (NGT) placement is a procedure commonly performed in mechanically ventilated (MV) patients. Chest X-Ray is the diagnostic gold-standard to confirm its correct placement, with the downsides of requiring MV patients' mobilization and of intrinsic actinic risk. Other potential methods to confirm NGT placement have shown lower accuracy compared to chest X-ray; end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) and pH analysis have already been singularly investigated as an alternative to the gold standard. Aim of this study was to determine threshold values in ETCO2 and pH measurement at which correct NGT positioning can be confirmed with the highest accuracy. MATERIALS & METHODS: This was a prospective, multicenter, observational trial; a continuous cohort of eligible patients was allocated with site into two arms. Patients underwent general anesthesia, orotracheal intubation and MV; in the first and second group we respectively assessed the difference between tracheal and esophageal ETCO2 and between esophageal and gastric pH values. RESULTS: From November 2020 to March 2021, 85 consecutive patients were enrolled: 40 in the ETCO2 group and 45 in the pH group. The ETCO2 ROC analysis for predicting NGT tracheal misplacement demonstrated an optimal ETCO2 cutoff value of 25.5 mmHg, with both sensitivity and specificity reaching 1.0 (AUC 1.0, p < 0.001). The pH ROC analysis for predicting NGT correct gastric placement resulted in an optimal pH cutoff value of 4.25, with mild diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.79, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: In patients receiving MV, ETCO2 and pH measurements respectively identified incorrect and correct NGT placement, allowing the identification of threshold values potentially able to improve correct NGT positioning. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03934515 (www.clinicaltrials.gov).

Enteral Nutrition Overview.

Enteral nutrition (EN) provides critical macro and micronutrients to individuals who cannot maintain sufficient oral intake to meet their nutritional needs. EN is most commonly required for neurological conditions that impair swallow function, such as stroke, amytrophic lateral sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. An inability to swallow due to mechanical ventilation and altered mental status are also common conditions that necessitate the use of EN. EN can be short or long term and delivered gastrically or post-pylorically. The expected duration and site of feeding determine the type of feeding tube used. Many commercial EN formulas are available. In addition to standard formulations, disease specific, peptide-based, and blenderized formulas are also available. Several other factors should be considered when providing EN, including timing and rate of initiation, advancement regimen, feeding modality, and risk of complications. Careful and comprehensive assessment of the patient will help to ensure that nutritionally complete and clinically appropriate EN is delivered safely.

Blind nasogastric tube advancement following sleeve gastrectomy: an animal model.

BACKGROUND: Sleeve gastrectomy is an effective surgical treatment for morbid obesity. The major technical risk of this procedure is staple line dehiscence. Some surgeons are reluctant to place a nasogastric tube (NGT) blindly due to the perceived risk of damage to the staple line. We sought to determine whether such concern was warranted. METHODS: A porcine tissue model (Animal Technologies, Inc., Tyler, TX) was used. Sleeve gastrectomy was performed using a flexible gastroscope as a guide for the Endo GIA stapler (Covidien, New Haven, CT) in an identical fashion used in our patients. The specimen was then placed in a plastic model of the thorax (VATS Trainers, LLC. Lansing, MI). The NGT was blindly advanced to 55 cm for a total of 50 passes, and to 75 cm for another 50 passes. Endoscopy with water submersion was performed to evaluate for injury or leak. RESULTS: After multiple passes of the NGT, no significant injuries, leaks, or perforations were observed to the gastric model, except for several small petechiae of the gastric mucosa, the largest measuring approximately 3 mm. None were of full thickness or penetrated the mucosa. The staple line showed no evidence of trauma. CONCLUSION: In this porcine model, blind NGT placement was not associated with significant mucosal injury or any damage to the sleeve gastrectomy staple line.

Nutritional support for children and young people: nasogastric tubes.

The need to offer nutritional support to children and young people is commonplace for health professionals. This article explores the use and indication of nasogastric tubes (NGT) in children and young people, before explaining the process of inserting NGTs and the ongoing management of this method of nutritional support.

Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with COVID-19 infection: a case from the UK.

Originating from Wuhan, China, COVID-19 has rapidly spread worldwide. Neurological manifestations are more commonly associated with severe COVID-19 infection. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare immune-mediated postinfectious neuropathy. It has been reported as a possible rare complication of COVID-19. We report a case of GBS associated with COVID-19 in the UK.

Fluoroscopic placement of nasojejunal feeding tubes in COVID-19 patients in the prone position.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused an increase in patients requiring enteral feeding access while undergoing proning for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We investigated the safety and feasibility of fluoroscopy-guided nasojejunal (NJ) feeding tube placement in the prone position. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of all patients who underwent fluoroscopic placement of NJ feeding tubes at a single institution between March 2020 and December 2020. Primary end points were success rate and number of attempts. Chi-squared and Fischer exact tests were used to compare prone and supine groups. RESULTS: A total of 210 patients were included in the study: 53 patients received NJ feeding tubes while prone and 157 while supine. All but one patient in the prone group had ARDS secondary to COVID-19, whereas 47 (30.3%) had COVID-19 in the supine group. The rate of successful placement was 94.3% in the prone group and 100% in the supine group. Mean number of attempts was 1.1 (SD, ±0.4) in the prone and 1.0 (SD, ±0.1) in the supine group (P = .14). Prone patients had a longer median fluoroscopy time (69 s, interquartile range [IQR] = 92; vs 48 s, IQR = 43; P < .001) and received a higher radiation dose during the procedure (47 mGy, IQR = 50; vs 25 mGy, IQR = 33; P = .004). No procedural complications were reported. CONCLUSION: Fluoroscopy-guided NJ feeding tube placement in prone patients is feasible and safe. Patient positioning should not delay obtaining postpyloric feeding access.

Bedside postpyloric enteral tube placement using Kangaroo IRIS technology: a single-center case series.

OBJECTIVES: Postpyloric enteral feeding tubes (PPTs) are often placed endoscopically. This carries cost and capacity implications for hospitals with additional strain on endoscopy units during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The Kangaroo Feeding Tube with IRIS Technology (IRIS) uses optical visualization to guide bedside placement, obviating the need for endoscopy. We describe a case series of bedside postpyloric enteral feeding tube placement using the IRIS tube. METHODS: This was a prospective, single-center case series over 12 mo. Conscious and sedated adult participants were included. Exclusion criteria were altered anatomy and need for endoscopy for other indications. IRIS placement was confirmed by contrast radiograph. RESULTS: Twenty attempts were made in 19 participants (13 women). The primary indication was intolerance of gastric feeding. The overall success rate was 75%. In sedated participants, 5 (83%) of 6 tubes were successful in 5 participants. In conscious participants, 10 (71%) of 14 tubes were successful in 14 participants. Placement failure in conscious participants was due to intolerance of the camera tip during nasal passage. The median procedure time was 13.5 min. In all cases, correct position as deemed by the operator was confirmed with contrast radiograph. No complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the largest single series of bedside postpyloric enteral feeding tube placement using the IRIS tube to date. The success rate and safety profile reported here, together with the potential benefits (reduced feeding delays, costs, and need for endoscopy) suggest that further, large-scale studies are warranted.

Hydroxychloroquine lung pharmacokinetics in critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Different dosage regimens of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have been used to manage COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) patients, with no information on lung exposure in this population. The aim of our study was to evaluate HCQ concentrations in the lung epithelial lining fluid (ELF) in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the virus that causes COVID-19. This was a retrospective, observational, multicentre, pharmacokinetic study of HCQ in critically ill COVID-19 patients. No additional interventions or additional samples compared with standard care of these patients were conducted in our teaching hospital. We included all intubated COVID-19 patients treated with crushed HCQ tablets, regardless of the dosage administered by nasogastric tube. Blood and bronchoalveolar lavage samples (n = 28) were collected from 22 COVID-19 patients and total HCQ concentrations in ELF were estimated. Median (interquartile range) HCQ plasma concentrations were 0.09 (0.06-0.14) mg/L and 0.07 (0.05-0.08) mg/L for 400 mg × 1/day and 200 mg × 3/day, respectively. Median HCQ ELF concentrations were 3.74 (1.10-7.26) mg/L and 1.81 (1.20-7.25) for 400 mg × 1/day and 200 mg × 3/day, respectively. The median ratio of ELF/plasma concentrations was 40.0 (7.3-162.7) and 21.2 (18.4-109.5) for 400 mg × 1/day and 200 mg × 3/day, respectively. ELF exposure is likely to be underestimated from HCQ concentrations in plasma. In clinical practice, low plasma concentrations should not induce an increase in drug dosage because lung exposure may already be high.

Should nasogastric tube insertion during the COVID-19 pandemic be considered as an aerosol-generating procedure?

Nasogastric tubes are used frequently in surgical patients for bowel decompression, provision of enteral nutritional support and preventing aspiration of gastric contents. There is no conclusive research into the risk of COVID-19 transmission associated with nasogastric tube insertion, although evidence from the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak appears to suggest that there is no increased risk of transmission. However, close contact with a COVID-19 patient, especially those displaying respiratory symptoms, is likely to increase the risk of transmission. Nasogastric tube insertion requires increased time spent at a patient's bedside and can also cause pharyngeal irritation, resulting in coughing. In addition, the nasogastric tube can expose the healthcare worker to potentially infectious saliva. Therefore, there is a clear need for increased evidence regarding the risk of transmission associated with nasogastric tube insertion, to ensure that such risks can be mitigated.

Pharmacokinetics of Favipiravir in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19.

Since December 2019, a novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)) infection has been rapidly spreading worldwide and causing the respiratory illness, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The antiretroviral drug favipiravir (FPV) has been experimentally used for COVID-19 treatment since March 2020 in Japan. However, the pharmacokinetics of FPV in critically ill patients is unknown. We measured the serum concentration of FPV using high-performance liquid chromatography in patients with severe COVID-19 who were admitted to the intensive care unit and placed on mechanical ventilation. The patients were administered 1,600 mg of FPV twice daily on day 1, followed by 600 mg twice daily from day 2 to day 5 (or more if needed). Suspensions of FPV tablets were administered through a nasogastric tube. Seven patients were enrolled in this study. Forty-nine blood samples were obtained from the eligible patients to evaluate FPV concentration. The FPV trough (after 8-12 hours) concentrations of most samples were lower than the lower limit of quantification (1 µg/mL) and half-maximal effective concentration (9.7 µg/mL) against SARS-CoV-2 previously tested in vitro. FPV trough concentration in critically ill patients was much lower than that of healthy subjects in a previous clinical trial, which is a cause for great concern. Further study is required to determine the optimal strategy for treatment of patients with severe COVID-19.