Purchasing policies are revised and old stock systematically removed to ensure all nasogastric tubes Tubes that are clearly visible on x-ray through used for the radio-opaque materials throughout their length purpose of (rather than solely at the tip) are critical to being feeding are able to carry out the ‘four criteria’ for x-ray radio-opaque interpretation. throughout Externally visible length-markings enable their length accurate measurement for insertion and and identification of any subsequent tube have externally displacement. visible Purchasing policies and stock control are length required to ensure no unintended reversion to No local or national clinical guidance should markings unsafe supplies. amend this requirement. To ensure the radiographer provides an x-ray No local or national clinical guidance should Staff have access that allows for the interpretation of the four amend this requirement to a validated X-ray request criteria for gastric placement described below. report within the forms clearly To ensure the radiologist’s report gives a PACS system (the state that the definitive view on the position of the nasogastric IT system which purpose of the tube for this purpose. sits behind x-ray is to Radiography). establish the There will be a position of the validated report nasogastric within the PACS tube for the system for sign purpose of off by medical feeding or the staff. administration It is suggested of medica that this could be
Purchasing policies are revised and old stock systematically removed to ensure all nasogastric tubes used for the purpose of feeding are radio-opaque throughout their length and have externally visible length markings Tubes that are clearly visible on x-ray through radio-opaque materials throughout their length (rather than solely at the tip) are critical to being able to carry out the ‘four criteria’ for x-ray interpretation. Externally visible length-markings enable accurate measurement for insertion and identification of any subsequent tube displacement. Purchasing policies and stock control are required to ensure no unintended reversion to unsafe supplies. No local or national clinical guidance should amend this requirement. X-ray request forms clearly state that the purpose of the x-ray is to establish the position of the nasogastric tube for the purpose of feeding or the administration of medica To ensure the radiographer provides an x-ray that allows for the interpretation of the four criteria for gastric placement described below. To ensure the radiologist’s report gives a definitive view on the position of the nasogastric tube for this purpose. No local or national clinical guidance should amend this requirement Staff have access to a validated report within the PACS system (the IT system which sits behind Radiography). There will be a validated report within the PACS system for sign off by medical staff. It is suggested that this could be
78i_BOD_Board-Report-May-2017-Patient-Safety-Alert-NG-tube-feeding-2.docx