The place of the nasogastric tube

Physicians frequently take care of patients in hospital and emergency room settings where they have to utilize a variety of invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in patient care. It is important that we be fully aware of the potential for complications and limitations of these techniques. The use of the nasogastric tube in patient care is not without adverse effects, and recent literature has called its routine use into question for a variety of situations. This paper is an attempt to illustrate some of these concerns, and suggests that physicians exercise greater restraint and judgment when considering its use.