A Minimally Invasive, Visualized Method for Nasojejunal Tube Placement.

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Malnutrition is prevalent in critically ill patients, necessitating early enteral nutrition.
• Jejunal nutrition is vital, but current nasojejunal (NJ) tube placement methods have limitations.
• Existing non-surgical NJ tube placement techniques, including endoscopic-assisted methods, present variable success rates and logistical challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel bedside, visualized method for nasojejunal tube placement.
• To improve the success rate and reduce patient discomfort associated with NJ tube insertion in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Main Methods:

• A new bedside, visualized technique for NJ tube placement was developed and tested.
• The study involved 19 intensive care unit (ICU) patients.
• A miniaturized endoscope was utilized for visualization during bedside insertion.

Main Results:

• The visualized NJ tube placement method achieved an initial success rate of 94.74%.
• The average insertion time was 11.2 ± 6.4 minutes.
• The method demonstrated efficiency, reduced the need for additional imaging, and minimized patient discomfort.

Conclusions:

• The bedside visualized NJ tube placement method is efficient and effective for critically ill patients.
• This technique shows promise for improving enteral nutrition delivery and patient outcomes in the ICU.
• Future refinements of the guidewire lens and catheter are suggested for further optimization.