Evaluation of the use of nasal bridle in clinical practice

Abstract

Introduction: the nasal bridle (NB) is one of the strategies to avoid the displacement of tubes for enteral nutrition (EN) used during a nutritional intervention. Objectives: to review the efficacy and safety of NB placement in a patient population requiring EN by tube feeding. To analyze their clinical characteristics and identify complications related to this procedure. Methods: a retrospective observational study in usual clinical practice including patients admitted to a second-level hospital with EN catheters who required the use of a commercial NB—CORGRIP NG/NI TFEEDING TUBE RETENTION SYSTEM. Results: 51 patients with a mean age of 73 years (37-96) were analyzed; 64.7 % were men. Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD) was the funda-mental indication for placement of an EN tube (54.9 %) followed by refusal to ingest (17.6 %), and orotracheal intubation (7.8 %), among others. NB was withdrawn in 7.8 % of cases due to change in digestive access (gastrostomy), in 21.6 % because of transition to the oral route, and in 9.8 % due to ignorance on how to use it. We found significant differences between accidental removal and self-withdrawal of probes before and after BN placement (2.59 ± 1.512 vs 0.24 ± 0.596; p < 0.05). No related complications were recorded except for only one case of skin ulcer. Conclusions: NB is a safe and effective retention system for the prevention of probe displacement and withdrawal in patients with a wide variety of pathologies. Training health professionals is essential for proper use.