Transnasal, ultrathin endoscopy for the placement of nasoenteral feeding tubes in critically ill patients: Does the working length of the endoscope matter?

Aims: Early enteral feeding may improve outcomes in critically ill patients. Transnasal endoscopy with an ultrathin endoscope has been shown to be helpful for the placement of nasoenteral feeding tubes in these patients. Success rates were limited by the short working length of the ultrathin endoscopes. Aim: To compare the success rate of a 133cm-long, ultrathin video-endoscope with a standard 92.5cm-long, ultrathin, fiberoptic endoscope for the transnasal placement of nasoenteral feeding tubes. Methods: Critically ill patients were randomly assigned to transnasal feeding tube placement with the standard 92.5cm-…