Nasogastric tube feeding under physical restraint: comprehensive audit and case series across in-patient mental health units in England

Abstract

Aims and method To identify the clinical characteristics of patients receiving nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding under physical restraint. Clinicians participated via professional networks and subsequent telephone contact. In addition to completing a survey, participants were invited to submit up to ten case studies. Results The survey response rate from in-patient units was 100% and 143 case studies were submitted. An estimated 622 patients received NGT feeding under restraint in England in 2020–2021. The most common diagnosis was anorexia nervosa (68.5–75.7%), with depression, anxiety and autism spectrum disorder the most frequent comorbidities. Patients receiving the intervention ranged from 11 to 60 years in age (mean 19.02 years). There was wide variation in duration of use, from once to daily for 312 weeks (mode 1 week; mean 29.1 weeks, s.d. = 50.8 weeks). Clinical implications NGT feeding under restraint is not uncommon in England, with variation in implementation. Further research is needed to understand how the high comorbidity and complexity contribute to initiation and termination of the intervention.