Combined application of nasogastric tubes and nasointestinal tubes in neurosurgical intensive care patients with stress ulceration: a novel solution to treatment and early enteral nutrition

OBJECTIVE Stress ulcers occur frequently in neurosurgical intensive care patients and can pose serious risks. We summarized the clinical experience of the combined application of nasointestinal tubes for early restoration of enteral nutrition and of nasogastric (NG) tubes for stress ulceration treatment in patients hospitalized in a neurosurgical intensive care unit. METHODS From January 2011 to June 2011, a series of 67 patients with stress ulceration hospitalized in a neurosurgical intensive care unit were randomized to two groups. The control group (33 patients) received treatment with NG tube decompression and drainage according to international guidelines, and parenteral nutrition was changed to enteral feeding until there was no grossly visible blood in the NG tube. The nasointestinal tube group (34 patients) received treatment combining application of NG tubes and nasointestinal tubes. Drainage was performed with NG tubes as in the control group, with concurrent placement of nasointestinal tubes. Duration until resolution of stress ulceration and days until start of enteral nutrition were compared between the two groups. RESULTS Duration until resolution of stress ulceration was 4.5 days in the control group and 4.3 days in the nasointestinal tube group. There was no difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Duration until start of enteral nutrition was 4.5 days in the control group and 1 day in the nasointestinal tube group. There was an obvious difference between the two groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The combined application of NG tubes and nasointestinal tubes in neurosurgical intensive care patients with stress ulceration is an effective means of treating stress ulceration and restoring early enteral nutrition.