Pleuropulmonary complications of enteral tube feedings. Two reports, review of the literature, and recommendations.

Enteral tube feeding is an attractive alternative to intravenous alimentation for nutritional support. As previously used nasogastric tubes have been replaced with narrow-bore nasogastric tubes, the spectrum of complications seen with these devices has changed. We report a previously undescribed event associated with narrow-bore nasogastric tube feeding, review the literature, noting predisposing factors and complications, and suggest guidelines to avoid pitfalls of insertion and the ensuing adverse effects.