A new method to place an enteral feeding tube for transpyloric feeding in infants

It is difficult to achieve transpyloric placement of an enteral feeding tube in infant cases. We have found a new method to place an enteral diet tube for postpyloric feeding in infants.

Materials and methods

The patient will be intubated. A 5.5 mm ID nasoenteric feeding tube, a drawn scale on the surface, with an inner wire stylet is inserted and advanced through the esophagus into the gastric lumen. Then, a specially made 3.0–4.0 mm ID intratracheal tube with a cuff is connected to a Bodai connector, used for the fiberscope, whose proximal end is sealed except for a small hole to insufflate oxygen.

After placing this composed tube into the esophagus transorally, a 3.0 mm OD fiberscope will be inserted into this composed tube and the distal end will be lead into stomach. The cuff is inflated in order to fix a position to prevent a leakage of air insufflated into the gastric lumen.

After inflation of the gastric cavity by air, the distal orifice of the enteral feeding tube is advanced distally into the duodenum under direct view by the fiberscope. The distance from antrum can be determined by the scale on the tube.

The method was tried for four patients and all trials succeeded without complications, and continuous postpyloric enteral feeding was safely begun immediately.