Gastric Ultrasound in Tube Fed Intubated Patients

Utility of POC Gastric Ultrasound in Confirming Stomach is Empty in Intubated Patients Fed Gastrically (NG) Versus Transpylorically (NJ) to Ensure Low Risk of Aspiration.

This study will use point of care (POC) gastric ultrasound to confirm that nasojejunal tube (NJ) feeds result in minimal to no gastric content and therefore are low risk for aspiration and should be allowed at the very least to decrease the time that enteral feeds need to be held prior to a procedure or if they need to be held at all. This would allow critically ill children to receive the nutrition that they need to heal for longer periods of time. Using ultrasound would also potentially eliminate the need for exposure to x-rays to confirm tube placement. Most ICUs have a POC ultrasound machine so this would be any easy tool to access to improve patient care.

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Critical Illness
• Intervention / Treatment: Diagnostic test: Ultrasound

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 200

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Ohio
    • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43205
      • Nationwide Children's Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: No older than 18 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Critically ill children at Nationwide Children's Hospital

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• all PICU patients intubated < 7 days that are receiving NJ or NG feeds

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients that cannot be moved
• patients with significant GI conditions affecting motility
• patients intubated for more than seven days

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
NJ tube fed; Critically ill children receiving nutrition via a nasojejunal feeding tube.	Diagnostic test: Ultrasound; Point of care ultrasound to measure gastric contents.
NG tube fed; Critically ill children receiving nutrition via a nasogastric feeding tube.	Diagnostic test: Ultrasound; Point of care ultrasound to measure gastric contents.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Gastric contents	Amount of gastric contents measured by ultrasound.	Baseline (Day 1)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Gastric contents	Amount of gastric contents measured by ultrasound.	Day 2 (if still intubated & being tube fed)
Gastric contents	Amount of gastric contents measured by ultrasound.	Day 3 (if still intubated & being tube fed)
Gastric contents	Amount of gastric contents measured by ultrasound.	Day 4 (if still intubated & being tube fed)
Gastric contents	Amount of gastric contents measured by ultrasound.	Day 5 (if still intubated & being tube fed)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Joseph D. Tobias
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Joseph D Tobias, MD, Nationwide Children's Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 26, 2021
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 27, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 27, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): November 3, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 24, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 18, 2025
• Last Verified: June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Disease Attributes; Critical Illness
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00001377

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No