Measures to test placement of nasogastric and nasointestinal feeding tubes: a review.

A literature review regarding commonly recommended bedside measures to test nasogastric and nasointestinal feeding tube placement is presented in this article. Among the methods discussed are: aspiration of recognizable gastrointestinal contents, auscultation of insufflated air, measurement of pH of gastrointestinal secretions, and observing for coughing and choking, inability to speak, and the appearance of bubbles from the end of the tube when it is held under water. Fallibilities in these methods as well as discrepancies in recommendations for their implementation and interpretation are discussed along with implications for current practice and needed areas for research.