[The detection of the bronchial aspiration of enteral nutrition in the ICU].

Description of a comparative study in order to evaluate the sensitivity and reliability of two techniques described in literature used to detect the bronchoaspiration of enteral nutrition. Technique A consists of measuring the glucose in bronchial secretions by strips reactive to glucose-oxidase, and Technique B consists of staining the enteral diets with Methylene Blue, and then watching for the possible presence of colouring in the bronchial secretions. Our study is a contribution to the possible enhancing of the detection of bronchoaspiration, by combining both techniques. A series of 38 patients (Series A) was analyzed, who were subjected to Technique A and a further 32 patients (Series B) were subjected to both Techniques. A comparative study was made on both techniques, based on days of enteral nutrition, and it was observed that the incidence of bronchoaspiration for Series A during the first day of enteral nutrition was 25.7%, and on the following days 9.9%. In Series B, for the first day (Technique A) the percentage of 20% compared to 0% (Technique B), during the following days, 7.2% and 0.93% respectively. We related other variables, in view of their direct handling by the nursing department, such as the pressure used to inflate the pneumoplugging, amount of gastric drainage, administration of antiemetics, the correct position of the nasogastric tube and the presence of peristaltism. The statistical correlation for glucose in bronchial secretions with these variables was not significant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)