gastrointestinal disorders
How To Insert a Nasogastric Tube
Indications for Nasogastric Tube Insertion
To decompress the stomach and gastrointestinal (GI) tract (ie, to relieve distention due to obstruction, ileus, or atony) To empty the stomach, for example, in patients who are intubated to prevent aspiration or in patients with GI bleeding to remove blood and clots To obtain a sample of gastric contents to assess bleeding, volume, or acid content To remove ingested toxins (rare) To give antidotes such as activatedcharcoal To give oral radiopaque contrast agents To provide feeding of nutrients into stomach or feeding directly into small intestine with a long, thin, flexible enteral feeding tube 