Nasopharyngeal tube placement in emergency intubated patients with decreased consciousness with a new guidewire: a prospective randomized controlled trial

Background: There is some demand for nasogastric tube insertion in unconscious or ICU patients. Nasogastric tubes are generally made of flexible plastic materials, prone to twisting and deviation by the tracheal tube, when passing through the pharynx and esophageal opening, making it difficult to insert the NG-tube properly. We hypothesized that NG-tube insertion with help of guidewire can significantly increase a successful first-try insertion rate in contrast with the conventional "neck flexing" technique in unconscious intubated patients. Methods: One hundred adult intubated patients, in the emergency ward at Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences were enrolled in this prospective clinical trial study from February 2020 to July 2020. These patients were randomly divided into two groups, with and without use of the guidewire insertion technique. Parameters such as successful NG tube insertion average time, first and second try failure, total failure and occurrence of complications such as kinking, twisting, sticking, moderate hemorrhage and traumatic injuries to the nasopharynx pathway were studied. Results: One hundred patients were enrolled in this study. The median age of patients was 55.4±10.8 years (12-75 yr). First-try insertion success was 98% in the guidewire group and 74% in the control group (P=0.001). First, the try insertion failure percentage was 2% in the guidewire group and 26% in the control group (P=0.001). The time needed for NG tube insertion was significantly lower in the guidewire group, as 38.3±4.8 seconds in the guidewire group vs 61.5±6.2 seconds in the control group (P=0.001). A significantly lower number of complications like twisting, sticking, hemorrhage and traumatization were seen in the guidewire group.  Remarkably, that no case of absolute insertion failure was seen in the guidewire group but there were three such cases in the control group. Conclusion: The incidence of a successful first-try NG tube insertion has been significantly improved by the use of Steel Wire rope against the conventional neck flexing technique, in unconscious intubated patients, and causes less traumatization and complications as well.