Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in burn patients

Area of Science:

• Medical procedures
• Gastroenterology
• Burn care

Background:

• Seriously burned individuals occasionally require prolonged enteral feedings.
• Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) has been utilized for extended nutritional access in select burn patients.
• This review examines the application of PEG in this patient population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of PEG for prolonged enteral nutrition in severely burned patients.
• To compare PEG with nasogastric tubes for long-term feeding access in burn survivors.

Main Methods:

• The PEG procedure was performed under general anesthesia in 14 patients, often concurrently with other surgical interventions.
• Various commercially available needle and guidewire kits were used for tube placement.
• Tube placement sites included unburned skin, healed donor sites, healed burns, and grafted burn areas.

Main Results:

• The study included 14 patients with an average age of 55.2 years and burns affecting 38% of their body surface; 11 had inhalation injuries.
• PEG tubes were placed a mean of 57 days post-injury through various skin sites, with one instance of local wound erosion.
• While tubes remained in place for up to 155 days, long-term outcomes post-discharge were largely unknown, with no reported tube-related issues after acute care.

Conclusions:

• Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) provides a more comfortable alternative to nasogastric tubes for prolonged enteral feeding in selected burn patients.
• The PEG procedure can be performed with minimal morbidity in this patient group.
• PEG facilitates necessary nutritional support for recovery in severe burn cases.