Misplaced naso or orogastric tube not detected prior to use

Description

Naso or orogastric tube placed in the respiratory tract rather than the gastrointestinal tract and not detected prior to commencing feeding or other use.

Preventative guidance

There is a risk that nasogastric or orogastric feeding tubes may be inserted in a lung or bronchus instead of the stomach, resulting in potentially serious harm and/or death. Providers should familiarise themselves with the following guidance to help prevent this happening:

• Patient safety alert: Reducing harm caused by the misplacement of nasogastric feeding tubes
  This alert contains guidance on how to confirm correct placement of tubes. 

• Patient safety alert: Reducing the harm caused by misplaced naso and orogastric feeding tubes in babies under the care of neonatal units
  This alert includes guidance specifically for nasogastric and orogastric feeding tube placement in babies.