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A Study of Postoperative Complications Occurring at Home With Pediatric Gastrostomy Feeding Tubes
Mihika Aedla1, Anson Zhou1, Kevin Sompel1
1From the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Insights
Pediatric gastrostomy tube (G-tube) complications like infection and leakage are common. G-tube displacement is a critical issue that often leads to other problems and influences caretaker attitudes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Medical Device Complications
- Patient Care Outcomes
Background:
- Gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes) are essential for long-term feeding in children with severe feeding dysfunction.
- Home-based complications associated with pediatric G-tube feeding are not well-documented.
- Understanding these complications is crucial for improving patient care and device management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and describe the prevalence and outcomes of home-based complications in pediatric gastrostomy tube use.
- To investigate the causes and caretaker attitudes towards G-tube complications.
- To highlight the impact of specific complications on G-tube management and device satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- A dual-round survey was conducted with 98 participants via the Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation.
- Data collection focused on G-tube complications, their causes, and associated caretaker attitudes.
- The survey aimed to capture a broad range of experiences with pediatric G-tube feeding.
Main Results:
- Infection (56%), skin irritation/redness (52%), and leakage (51%) were the most frequently reported G-tube complications.
- The average G-tube replacement interval was 3.4 months, significantly shorter than the recommended 6 months.
- G-tube displacement was a critical complication, strongly influencing caretaker desire for device modification (75% vs. 7.9%).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric G-tube complications are common and diverse, with many requiring intervention.
- G-tube displacement is a significant issue, often preceding other complications like leakage and infection.
- Addressing G-tube displacement and related issues is vital for improving the experience of children and their caretakers.
Objective:
Gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes) provide long-term feeding assistance to children with severe feeding dysfunction. Although there are a host of complications that occur at home with current pediatric G-tube feeding, their prevalences and outcomes remain relatively unstudied. This study aims to identify and describe such complications.
Methods:
A dual-round survey was administered to 98 participants through the Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports parents and caretakers of G-tube-fed children. Information was collected broadly regarding G-tube complications, causes, and attitudes toward such complications.
Results:
Infection (56%), itching/irritation/redness (52%), and leakage (51%) were the leading G-tube related complications. The average time that G-tubes were replaced was 3.4 ± 1.2 months as compared to the typical recommended period of up to 6 months. Of the caretakers who had not experienced G-tube displacement, 7.9% wanted to see a change in current G-tubes to address the issue, compared with 75% of those who had experienced displacement. This 67.1% differential in caretakers' attitudes toward G-tubes based on their prior experience with a particular complication was the largest gap among all other listed complications.
Conclusions:
G-tube complications are prevalent and varied. A sizable portion of G-tube users experience complications severe enough to require intervention. Of these, G-tube displacement is particularly critical and frequently precedes other prevalent complications, namely gastric leakage, infection, and tissue granulation.
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