Evaluation of the safety of nurse-assisted percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) procedures have become a common, nonsurgical approach to providing enteral access to patients who are otherwise unable to meet their nutritional needs by mouth. Historically, two physicians have been required to complete this procedure; the first performed the endoscopy while the second helped to position the PEG tube. As a result of constraints on physicians' time and availability, as well as increased medical costs, this process has changed in some settings where the procedure is accomplished by one physician who performs the endoscopy and directly observes a nurse who acts in the role of the second physician. This research study was designed to evaluate the safety of nurse-assisted PEG procedures by comparing the complications of placement (i.e., infection, hemorrhage, perforation, and ileus) with those complications that occur when two physicians perform the procedure. The current standard of care for placing PEG tube was followed. Results in this small sample show that nurse-assisted PEG procedures are as safe as when two physicians perform this procedure.