STOP using NG tubes for
- af: Sarah Ann henderson
- mottagare: US Food and Drug Administration
Nasogastric tubes and tube feeding are meant to be used only when absolutely necessary to protect a patient's ability to receive the proper nutrition when the patient cannot eat normally. Most often this is due to medical reasons such as recent surgery, coma, or other physical illness. In the last several years, however, they have also been used to treat people with eating disorders who are unable to eat for psychiatric reasons but still need to receive proper nutrition to stay alive. As a person who has had tubes for both purposes- anorexia and surgery- I am appalled and outraged that NG tubes would be abused like this for sheer vanity and convenience. Those tubes have saved my life, saved the lives of my friends who have suffered from eating disorders and the life-threatening, life-altering complications that come with them; to see someone actually pay to sign up and live with one for a week is sickening. And the idea that a doctor would go a long with it is frightening, given the health risks that he so thoroughly down-played in the media. Please sign here and get the FDA to shut down this dangerous and disgusting practice.
Nasogastric (NG) tubes and tube feeding were developed to be used only when absolutely necessary to protect a patient's ability to receive the proper nutrition when the patient cannot eat normally or to perform an evaluation of upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleed (ie, presence, volume), to assess aspiration of gastric fluid content or to administer radiographic contrast to the GI tract. They were also approved for use medically for therapeutic reasons such as:
Gastric decompression, including maintenance of a decompressed state after endotracheal intubation, often via the oropharynx
Relief of symptoms and bowel rest in the setting of small-bowel obstruction
Aspiration of gastric content from recent ingestion of toxic material
Administration of medication
Feeding
Bowel irrigation
Often, NG's tubes are used to treat people with eating disorders who are unable to eat for medical and psychiatric reasons; in this case the NG tube is used to help restore nutrition and save the person's life.
The insertion of an NG tube can have mild to severe consequences such as:
Patient discomfort
Generous lubrication, the use of topical anesthetic, and a gentle technique may reduce the patient’s level of discomfort.
Throat irritation may be reduced with administration of anesthetic lozenges (eg, benzocaine lozenges [Cepacol]) prior to the procedure.
Epistaxis may be prevented by generously lubricating the tube tip and using a gentle technique.
Respiratory tree intubation
Esophageal perforation
I am appalled and outraged that NG tubes would be abused in such ways as Dr. Di Pietro in Florida is abusing them via his "K & E Diet for Brides". He is using a medical procedure for sheer vanity and convenience. NG tubes helped save my life, helped save the lives of many of my friends who have suffered from eating disorders and the life-threatening, life-altering complications that come with them. To witness a medical doctor assist his patients with an NG tube as a mechanism for losing weight for their wedding is sickening. And considering that at least one in four people who go on a diet will develop eating disordered thoughts and behaviors, it is beyond sickening, it is dangerous to allow this to continue. Please sign this petition so the FDA will put a stop to this dangerous and disgusting practice
References
Cullen L, Taylor D, Taylor S, Chu K. Nebulized lidocaine decreases the discomfort of nasogastric tube insertion: a randomized, double-blind trial. Ann Emerg Med. Aug 2004;44(2):131-7. [Medline].
Appukutty J, Shroff PP. Nasogastric tube insertion using different techniques in anesthetized patients: a prospective, randomized study. Anesth Analg. Sep 2009;109(3):832-5. [Medline].
Reichman EF, Simon RR, eds. Emergency Medicine Procedures. Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill Professional; 2004.
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