A stroke patient in the critical care unit often loses the ability to feed orally due to impaired swallowing or consciousness. In such cases, a Nasogastric Tube (NGT) is inserted to ensure adequate nutrition through enteral feeding.
Key Points
1. Purpose of NGT Placement
i. Nutritional Support: Provides essential nutrients when the patient cannot consume food orally.
ii. Medication Administration: Allows for medication delivery directly into the stomach.
iii. Stomach Decompression: Helps remove stomach contents if necessary.
2. Indications for NGT in Stroke Patients
i. Dysphagia: Common after a stroke, leading to the inability to swallow safely.
ii. Unconsciousness: Patients with reduced consciousness require enteral feeding via NGT.
3. Confirming NGT Placement
i. The most accurate method for verifying the correct placement of an NGT is:
ii. Chest X-Ray (CXR): This is the gold standard and most reliable method to confirm that the NGT is positioned correctly in the stomach, ensuring it hasn’t been misplaced in the lungs or coiled in the oesophagus.
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