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Palliative venting gastrostomy in malignant intestinal obstruction.
M A Brooksbank1, P A Game, M A Ashby
1Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, South Australia, Australia. mbrooksb@mail.rah.sa.gov.au
Palliative Medicine
|December 6, 2002
Summary
Palliative venting gastrostomy (PVG) effectively relieved refractory nausea and vomiting in 92% of patients with malignant bowel obstruction. This safe procedure improved oral intake for selected patients when other treatments failed.
Area of Science:
- Palliative Care
- Gastroenterology
- Oncology
Background:
- Malignant bowel obstruction frequently causes refractory nausea and vomiting in advanced cancer patients.
- Pharmacological interventions are often insufficient to manage these debilitating symptoms.
Observation:
- A retrospective study evaluated palliative venting gastrostomy (PVG) in 51 patients with advanced cancer and malignant bowel obstruction.
- The procedure involved endoscopic insertion of a gastrostomy tube in most cases.
- Patients had a median survival of 17 days post-procedure.
Findings:
- PVG successfully relieved nausea and vomiting in 92% (47/51) of patients.
- Improved oral intake of food and fluids was observed in these patients.
- The procedure was considered safe and effective for symptom palliation.
Implications:
- PVG offers a safe and effective option for managing refractory nausea and vomiting in selected patients with malignant bowel obstruction.
- It can significantly improve quality of life by restoring some oral intake.
- Consideration of PVG is warranted when pharmacological measures are inadequate.