Application of semi-automated ultrasonography on nutritional support for severe acute pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the application value of semi-automated ultrasound on the guidance of nasogastrojejunal tube replacement for patients with acute severe pancreatitis (ASP), as well as the value of the nutritional support for standardized treatment in clinical practice. METHODS: The retrospective research was performed in our hospital, and 34 patients suffering from ASP were enrolled into this study. All these identified participants ever received CT scans in order to make definitive diagnoses. Following, these patients received semi-automated ultrasound examinations within 1 days after their onset, in order to provide enteral nutrititon treatment via nasogastrojejunal tube, or freehand nasogastrojejunal tube replacement. In terms of statistical analysis, the application value of semi-automated ultrasound guidance on nasogastrojejunal tube replacement was evaluated, and was compared with tube replacement of no guidance. After cathetering, the additional enteral nutrition was provided, and its therapeutic effect on SAP was analyzed in further. RESULTS: A total of 34 patients with pancreatitis were identified in this research, 29 cases with necrosis of pancreas parenchyma. After further examinations, 32 cases were SAP, 2 cases were mild acute pancreatitis. When the firm diagnosis was made, additional enteral nutrition (EN) was given, all the patient conditions appeared good, and they all were satisfied with this kind of nutritional support. According to our clinical experience, when there was 200-250 ml liquid in the stomach, the successful rate of intubation appeared higher. Additionally, the comparison between ultrasound-guided and freehand nasogastrojejunal tube replacement was made. According to the statistical results, in terms of the utilization ratio of nutritional support, it was better in ultrasound-guided group, when compared with it in freehand group, within 1 day, after 3 days and after 7 days (7/20 versus 2/14; P < 0.05; 14/20 versus 6/14; P < 0.05; 20/20 versus 12/14; P < 0.05). Besides, the complications caused by cathetering between two groups was not statistically different (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It can be indicated that semi-automated ultrasound guidance is a reliable method for nasogastrojejunal tube replacement, and should be substituted for no guidance of cathetering. In terms of therapeutic effect of EN, additional nutritional support contributed to significantly improve the prognosis of SAP patients, and should be widely recommended in clinical practice. Surely, this conclusion should be evaluated in further, by means of randomized controlled trials and economic evaluation.

Semi-automated ultrasound guidance applied to nasogastrojejunal tube replacement for enteral nutrition in critically ill adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: At present, the enteral nutrition approaches via nose and duodenum (or nose and jejunum) are the preferred method of nutritional support in the medical engineering field, given the superiority of in line with physiological processes and no serious complication. In this study, the authors adopted saline as the acoustic window, and gave enteral nutrition support to critically ill patients, via the nasogastrojejunal approach guided by semi-automated ultrasound. These above patients benefited a lot from this kind of nutrition support treatment, and we aimed to report the detailed information. METHODS: Critically ill patients (n = 41) who had been treated with hospitalized intestine nutrition were identified. The Apogee 1200 ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and nasogastrojejunal tubes were adopted to carry out intestine nutrition treatment guided by semi-automated ultrasound. In order to confirm the specific positions of cardia, gastric body, antrum of stomach, and pylorus, the semi-automated ultrasound was utilized to probe the stomach cavity. And then, the ultrasonic probe was placed in the cardia location, and the nasogastrojejunal tube was slowly inserted through the metal thread. After operation, the nursing service satisfaction of patients and mean operation time were calculated, respectively. RESULTS: All the patients were treated with enteral nutrition via nasogastrojejunal tube, and the whole procedure was under the guidance of semi-automated ultrasonography. The end of the feeding tube is attached to the surface of the stomach with a greater curvature, which can be bent on account of a no gastric peristalsis squeeze function, and thereby were prevented from entering into the antrum and pylorus locations. After this procedure, the mental thread was taken out, and the tube was pushed forward by a "drift" approach in order to allow it to enter into the intestine. The total nursing service satisfaction of patients was 90.24%, and the total incidence of adverse reactions was 17.07%. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the application of saline can be taken as sound window, and the metal wire as the tracking target, the bedside nasogastrojejunal tube guided by semi-automated ultrasound is an effective feeding tube placement method, with relatively good clinical application value in medical engineering.