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Introduction Many children with gastric feeding intolerance require postpyloric tube feeding via a gastrojejunal (GJ) tube. Placement or positioning of these tubes is typically a procedure with a low dose of radiation. Although the risk of developing cancer from radiation exposure owing to computed tomography scans is well-documented in children, the risk of cumulative radiation exposure owing to frequent GJ tube replacement often goes unnoticed in the clinical decision-making process. We sought to define the frequency and cost of GJ tube replacement, quantify the radiation doses associated with the initial placement and replacements, and assess the number of conversions to surgical jejunostomies. Methods All pediatric patients who underwent GJ tube placement or replacement by Interventional Radiology (IR), surgery, and gastroenterology between 2010 and 2018 at a single center were reviewed. We evaluated the total cost of the initial placement and replacement of each GJ tube, the total number of replacements, and the cumulative radiation dose (mGy). Results We identified 203 patients who underwent GJ tube placement and/or replacement, of which 150 had radiation data available. Patients underwent a median of five GJ tube replacement procedures, and there was a wide range in the number of replacements per patient, from zero to 88. Patients were exposed to a median cumulative dose of 6.0 mGy (IQR: 2.2, 22.6). Nine percent of patients with available radiation data were exposed to more than 50 mGy, solely from GJ tube replacements. The median cost per replacement was $1170. The sum of the cost of the replacements for dislodged GJs translated to more than $1.4 million during the study period. Conclusions Overall, the average dose per GJ replacement was 3.50 mGy among all patients with available data. Nine percent of patients (14/150) were exposed to greater than 50 mGy cumulative radiation solely from GJ replacements. Patients who receive more than 50 mGy of cumulative radiation dose, who undergo seven GJ tube replacements in one year, or two consecutive GJ tube replacement procedures with radiation doses exceeding 10 mGy (per replacement) should be considered for a surgical jejunostomy. Level of evidence IV Type of study Treatment study.

The presence of oral or naso-enteral probes during non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) increases the risk of leakage and patient discomfort. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel tube adapter for NIMV (TA-NIMV) in relation to leakage and comfort level.A non-randomized quasi-experimental design was performed in an adult intensive care unit of a highly complex hospital, in which patients were their own controls. We included adult patients who required NIV with oronasal mask and who simultaneously had oral or naso-enteric tubes. The interventions were as follows: every participant received two therapies, one with the TA-NIMV and one conventional therapy of NIMV (CT-NIMV). Comfort could be evaluated in 99 patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale of 15. The outcomes of interest was the average percentage of air leak and patient comfort during each intervention.196 patients were included in the study during a 16-month period. The mean air leak percentage was 9.2% [standard deviation (SD), 7.7] during TA-NIMV and 32.5% (SD, 12.5) during CT-NIMV (p0.001). 84.9% reported being comfortable or very comfortable during TA-VMNI. 66.7% Uncomfortable or Very uncomfortable during CT-NIMV (p0.001).Higher comfort levels and lower air leakage volume percentages were achieved using the TA-NIMV than those achieved by CT-NIMV.

Background Nutrition guidelines recommend enteral nutrition in the form of gastric feedings for critically ill children and acknowledge a lack of evidence describing an optimal method for providing these feedings. Objective To determine the state of the science regarding the efficacy of bolus (intermittent) or continuous gastric feedings to improve nutrition delivery in critically ill children receiving mechanical ventilation. Methods Five hundred seventy-nine abstracts met the inclusion criteria and were screened by 2 reviewers according to prespecified criteria. Full-text reviews were performed on 28 articles; 11 studies were selected for detailed analysis. Because of the small number of eligible studies, broader searches were conducted. Results Only 5 studies with a collective enrollment of fewer than 200 children closely addressed the specific research question. These 5 studies did not report any similarity in feeding regimens, nor did they report nutritional outcomes. Two of the articles described findings from the same study population. Although 4 of the 5 studies randomized children to bolus versus continuous feedings, only 3 studies described attainment of nutrient delivery goals in both the intervention and the control groups; the remaining study did not report this outcome. The heterogeneity in methodology and outcomes among the 5 studies did not allow for a meta-analysis. Conclusions The dearth of evidence regarding best practices and outcomes related to bolus versus continuous gastric feedings in critically ill children receiving mechanical ventilation requires additional rigorous investigation.

The purpose of this study was to (1) define medical and sociodemographic factors related to maternal milk feedings and (2) explore relationships between maternal milk feeding and early neurobehavioral outcome. Ninety-two preterm infants born ≤ 32 weeks gestation had maternal milk feeding and breastfeeding tracked in this retrospective analysis. At 34 to 41 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA), neurobehavior was assessed with the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale. Maternal milk feeding was often delayed by the use of total parenteral nutrition, administered for a median of 11 (7-26) days, impacting the timing of gastric feeding initiation. Seventy-nine (86%) infants received some maternal milk during neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization. Twenty-one (27%) infants continued to receive maternal milk at 34 to 41 weeks PMA, with 10 (48%) of those receiving maternal milk exclusively. Among mothers who initiated maternal milk feeds, 20 (25%) put their infants directly at the breast at least once during hospitalization. Mothers who were younger (P = .02), non-Caucasian (P < .001), or on public insurance (P < .001) were less likely to provide exclusive maternal milk feedings by 34 to 41 weeks PMA. Infants who received maternal milk at 34 to 41 weeks PMA demonstrated better orientation (P = .03), indicating they had better visual and auditory attention to people and objects in the environment. Our findings demonstrate a relationship between maternal milk feedings and better neurobehavior, which is evident before the infant is discharged home from the NICU.

Introduction: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a method of gastric feeding access that has had increasing use by pediatric surgeons in recent years. Known risks of the procedur...

Gastrostomy tubes, placed either endoscopically or laparoscopically, are the most widely used method to deliver enteral feeding to patients unable to be fed by mouth. Tube gastrostomy is quick and low cost and allows the health care professionals for a convenient route to deliver enteral nutrition to their patients. Nevertheless, bearing an indwelling gastric tube could not be as convenient for patients. Complications, such as bowel perforation, tube dislodgement, peristomal infection or bleeding occur in up to 17% of patients, and some other drawbacks of gastric tubes, such as peristomal pain, are often understated. We present our technique for laparoscopic creation of a tubularized continent gastrostomy, originally conceived for the emergency treatment of patients with a dislodged percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, to provide them with a reliable new route for gastric feeding. After healing, this gastrostomy does not need an indwelling tube to stay patent, requires only a light gauze dressing and can be used by intermittent catheterization at conventional feeding times during the day. Laparoscopic tubularized continent gastrostomy can be offered to patients as a reliable alternative to tube gastrostomy.

Management of complicated reflux in infants and children is controversial. Jejunal feedings are used when reflux complications occur with gastric feeds. We sought to determine how successful fundoplication is to allow for return of physiologic gastric feeds in patients requiring jejunal feeds preoperatively.A retrospective review of patients requiring jejunal feeds before fundoplication between 2010 and 2015 was conducted.Two hundred thirteen children underwent fundoplication during the study period. One hundred fourteen (49%) children required preoperative jejunal feeds. Median preoperative jejunal feeding trial was 15 days (interquartile range [IQR] 8-36). After fundoplication, gastric feeds were attempted in all patients. Ninety-one (80%) patients tolerated feeds postoperatively without return of preoperative symptoms. Twenty-one (18%) children developed gastric feeding intolerance and were treated with jejunal feeds at a mean of 8 months postoperatively (range 3-17). Ten (9%) children eventually tolerated intragastric bolus feeds, requiring jejunal feeds for a median duration of 2.3 months (IQR 1-5). There were no differences seen in those who were able to tolerate gastric early after the operation and those who did not. Of the patients who were unable to tolerate bolus gastric feeds during the study, a higher proportion had neurologic impairment and were on jejunal feeds for a longer period of time before fundoplication.In the majority of patients requiring continuous jejunal feeds to manage complications of reflux, fundoplication allows for transition to gastric bolus feeding.

Purpose Outcomes associated with primary laparoscopic gastrojejunal (GJ) tube placement in the pediatric population were evaluated. Methods A single-institution, retrospective review examined patients undergoing laparoscopic GJ tube placement between June 2011 and December 2014. Outcomes included gastric feeding tolerance, subsequent fundoplication, complications, and mortality. Results Ninety laparoscopic GJ tubes were placed. Median follow-up was 342days (interquartile range [IQR]=141–561days). Median patient age was 5months (IQR=3–11months) and weight was 5.2kg (IQR=4–8.4kg). The most common indications for placement were gastroesophageal reflux (n=85, 94.4%) and/or aspiration (n=40, 44.4%). Most common comorbidities included cardiac (n=34, 37.8%) and respiratory (n=29, 32.2%) diseases. The complication rate was 17.8%, including one case of intestinal perforation. Thirty-four (37.7%) patients transitioned to gastric feeding within 1year; time to conversion was 156days (IQR=117–210days); of those, 18.9% patients transitioned to oral feedings. A fundoplication was later performed in 4 children for persistent reflux. Mortality was 23.3% with no procedural-related deaths. Conclusion Primary laparoscopically placed GJ tubes are a reliable means of enteral access for pediatric patients with gastric feeding intolerance. Many of these children are successfully transitioned to gastric and/or oral feedings over time. Further studies are needed to characterize which patients are best served with a GJ tube versus alternatives such as fundoplication. Level of evidence III (treatment) Type of study Retrospective

The principal purpose of critical care nutrition is to arrest the loss of lean body mass and to maintain and restore energy-dependent homeostatic functions. There is no well-validated tool that evaluates the nutritional status of the critically ill patient, so opinion-based clinical evaluation of nutritional status is preferred. There is no evidence that parenteral nutrition (PN) is superior to enteral nutrition (EN) during the first 7 days of critical illness and vice versa. Moreover, early EN and early PN feeding do not appear to improve outcomes compared with delayed or hypocaloric nutrition. Parenteral nutrition should probably be delayed for up to 7 days for well-nourished patients. Adding PN to EN early in critical illness to achieve energy goals does not improve outcomes. The status of PN in malnourished or undernourished patients is unclear. PN is not associated with elevated infection risk. EN is associated with gastrointestinal complications, principally vomiting, probably clinically insignificant. EN is safe to administer to patients receiving vasoactive drugs after the initial shock period. For the majority of patients, gastric feeding should be attempted, and this usually results in achieving nutritional goals. It is probably unnecessary to routinely check gastric residual volumes. EN is superior to PN in patients with acute pancreatitis. In conclusion, there is currently no evidence that administration of a patient’s full estimated energy requirements improves outcomes in early critical illness. Consequently, trophic or hypocaloric feeding is a reasonable approach in the first 7 days.

Large burns are associated with a dramatic increase in metabolic demand, and adequate nutrition is vital to prevent poor wound healing and septic complications. However, enteral nutrition (EN) support is frequently withheld perioperatively, risking nutritional deficits. We retrospectively examined the safety and feasibility of continuing EN during surgery in patients with an established airway, and estimated the impact of perioperative fasting on overall caloric intake.Mechanically ventilated patients admitted to our urban, verified burn center between January 2012 and July 2017 with greater than 20% total body surface area (TBSA) burns were included in this retrospective analysis. The total volume of EN received by the patient during each 24-h period and goal EN volume as determined by a clinical dietitian were collected.A total of 45 patients met criteria with mean TBSA of 44% (range 20-84%). Most patients had a gastric feeding tube (86%). Each patient underwent a median of 4 operations (range 1-33) for a total of 249 operative days and 991 non-operative days. There were no aspiration events. On non-operative days, patients met 85% of estimated caloric needs. EN was held on 170 operative days (69%), and on these days, only 34% of total caloric needs were met. EN was continued on 77 operative days (31%), and on these days, 95% of total caloric needs were met (p0.001). Patients who had EN held for at least 50% of operative procedures (n=30) met only 69% of caloric goals while intubated. By comparison, patients who had EN continued for a majority of procedures (n=15) met 81% of caloric goals (p=0.002).Continuing EN intraoperatively in patients with an established airway appears to be a safe and efficacious way to meet patients' nutritional needs, including when feeding is delivered via a gastric route. This is particularly important given that placement of nasojejunal feeding tubes can be difficult, particularly in resource-poor settings where endoscopic or fluoroscopic-guided placement may not be practical.

BACKGROUND Malnutrition increases the risk of mortality and morbidity in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Barriers to adequate delivery of enteral nutrition (EN) include hemodynamic instability, feeding interruptions and intolerance, and lack of standardized feeding protocols. The most recent guidelines on nutrition support for the critically ill child describe a paucity of evidence around the best method to deliver EN. There is an untested clinical assumption that bolus gastric feeding (B-GF) in intubated patients is associated with aspiration events, lung injury, and associated morbidity compared with continuous gastric feeding (C-GF). This study compared the effectiveness and safety of C-GF vs B-GF in intubated pediatric patients. METHODS We enrolled randomized patients aged 1 month-12 years who were intubated within 24 hours and received EN starting within 48 hours of admission to a C-GF or B-GF group. Goal-directed EN volume and caloric density were increased every 3 and 12 hours, respectively, to target. Feeding interruptions and intolerance events were recorded. RESULTS Twenty-five subjects were enrolled (B-GF = 11; C-GF = 14). At 24 hours, B-GF was associated with higher energy and protein delivery (P

Gastric mucosal ischemia may be a risk factor for gastrointestinal intolerance to early feeding in the critically ill.To study intragastric PCO2 air tonometry and gastric residual volumes (GRV) before and after the start of gastric feeding.This is a two-center study in intensive care units of a university and teaching hospital. Twenty-nine critically ill, consecutive and consenting patients scheduled to start gastric feeding were studied after insertion of a gastric tonometry catheter and prior to and after start of gastric feeding (500 ml over 1 h), when clinically indicated.Blood gasometry and intragastric tonometry were performed prior to and 2 h after gastric feeding. The intragastric to arterial PCO2 gap (normal8 mm Hg) was elevated in 41% of patients prior to feeding and measured (mean ± standard deviation) 13 ± 20 and 16 ± 23 mm Hg in patients with normal (100 ml, 42 ± 34 ml, n = 19) and elevated GRV (250 ± 141 ml, n = 10, P = 0.75), respectively. After feeding, the gradient did not increase and measured 27 ± 25 and 23 ± 34 mm Hg, respectively (P = 0.80).Gastric mucosal ischemia is not a major risk factor for intolerance to early gastric feeding in the critically ill.

Ligature strangulation, although typically homicidal in nature, has been reported as accidental in both the pediatric and adult populations. The unique mode of accidental strangulation with a gastric feeding tube in a 23-month-old with Down syndrome is currently unreported in the literature and has prompted us to report this case and look into safety modifications that can be made to these common medical devices. Given the number of children with gastric feeding tubes and concern over this exact scenario brought up by parents, it is unusual that a similar case has not been reported.

Consumption of excess calories results in obesity and insulin resistance and has been intensively studied in mice and humans. The objective of this study was to determine the specific contribution of dietary fat rather than total caloric intake to the development of obesity-associated insulin resistance. We used an intragastric feeding method to overfeed excess calories from a low-fat diet (and an isocalorically matched high-fat diet) through a surgically implanted gastric feeding tube to generate obesity in wild-type mice followed by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies to assess the development of insulin resistance. We show that overfeeding a low-fat diet results in levels of obesity similar to high-fat diet feeding in mice. However, despite a similar body weight, obese high-fat diet-fed mice are more insulin resistant than mice fed an isocaloric low-fat diet. Therefore, increased proportion of calories from dietary fat further potentiates insulin resistance in the obese state. Furthermore, crossover diet studies revealed that reduction in dietary fat composition improves glucose tolerance in obesity. In the context of the current obesity and diabetes epidemic, it is particularly important to fully understand the role of dietary macronutrients in the potentiation and amelioration of disease.

Cyclosporine A, a potent calcineurin inhibitor, has been widely used in organ transplantation and in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. It has, however, been shown to induce serious renal and hepatic side effects. The drug is also used in preclinical studies, but with little published information on the optimal dose and route of administration in rodents. Objectives of this study were to identify efficient and safe doses of cyclosporine A in rodent and to assess its effects on hepatic and renal functions. For this purpose, we tested the effects of different doses and administration routes of cyclosporine A (5, 2.5 and 1 mg/kg) administered during 28 days intraperitoneally, or by gastric feeding on Wistar rats. Our data indicate that rats injected intraperitoneally with 5 mg/kg/2d (every two days) exhibited trough cyclosporine A levels within known therapeutic range in human, but were subject to blood cyclosporine A accumulation, whereas the 5 mg/kg/d gavage resulted in only a small cyclosporine A accumulation over time. In both cases this accumulation was not deleterious to renal and hepatic functions, as shown by transaminase, urea, creatinine and bilirubin measurements.

Summary Background Malpositioned feeding tubes carry the risk of serious complications. However, common bedside methods of differentiating tracheal from gastric feeding tube placement are neither accurate nor practical. Therefore, we conducted an animal study to verify feeding tube placement by syringe aspiration test. Methods A total of 26 pigs were anesthetized and intubated with tracheal tubes in the trachea and the esophagus. The animals were divided into two groups. The animals in the mechanical ventilation group were paralysed and received mechanical ventilation. The animals in the spontaneous breathing group maintained spontaneous breathing. The feeding tubes were then inserted through the tracheal tubes, into the trachea and esophagus, so that the anterior openings of the feeding tubes were located in the trachea and esophagus. A feeding syringe was then attached and 30 ml of air was aspirated into the syringe. The ability to aspirate air without resistance was defined as a positive syringe aspiration test. If there was resistance as air was aspirated, it was defined as a negative syringe aspiration test. In the next step, 20 esophageal ventilations were given to create a distended stomach in the experimental animals, and the syringe aspiration test was repeated in the same manner described above. Results The syringe aspiration test was positive for feeding tubes placed in the trachea and was negative for feeding tubes located in the esophagus in both the mechanical ventilation group and the spontaneous breathing group. Conclusion The syringe aspiration test is an effective method of differentiating tracheal from esophageal feeding tube placement.

Objective: Enteral nutrition (EN) has well-established benefits in critically ill children. Optimally, full nutritional support should be achieved expeditiously. The authors hypothesized that a protocolized continuous gastric EN (GEN) approach would decrease time to goal feeding rate and calories (TTG). Design: 96 patients were enrolled, divided equally into control (pre) and treatment (post) groups. Patients were monitored every 4 hours for 5 signs of feeding intolerance. Significance was defined as P < .05. Setting: 23-bed multidisciplinary pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Subjects: PICU patients

Although the excess of thyroid hormones has been found to be associated with many effects on the heart and vasculature, the adaptive changes of various conductive and resistance arteries from different vasculature are largely unknown. In this study, we compared changes in vascular reactivity between aortic and femoral arterial rings in hyperthyroidism rat model. Our results indicate that daily gastric feeding of euthyrox to rat with dosage of 100 microg group (H1) or 200 microg group (H2) for 25 days was sufficient to induce a thyrotoxicosis. The serum TT3 and TT4 levels, heart weight (HW), body weight (BW), HW/BW ratio and mean diameter of myocardiac cells of the rat were significantly greater (P0.05) in that two hyperthyroidism groups than in control group (E). It demonstrates that the gastric feeding of euthyrox may provide a reliable, cheaper and convenient method to induce hyperthyroid state with varying severity and duration. Our results also suggest that the contractile responses to phenylephrine (PE) and the relaxation responses to acetylcholine (Ach) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were reduced and enhanced, respectively, in vascular rings from H1 and H2 rats compared with E rats (P0.05). The above vasoconstriction and vasorelaxation responses to agonists at least in large, elastic and medium-sized muscular arteries, which might be important vascular changes accounting for the enhancement of ventriculoatrial coupling and the reduction in peripheral vascular resistance during hyperthyroidism.

Background and Aims: Intolerance of gastric enteral feeding (GEN) commonly occurs in surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). A liquid containing sugar could prolong gastric emptying time. This study was to propose a method for prediction of nonsuccess GEN using gastric volume after loading (GVAL) following gradual sucrose gastric loading. Materials and Methods: Mechanical ventilator supported and hemodynamically stable patients in SICU were enrolled. About 180-240 min before the GEN starting, a sucrose solution (12.5%; 450 mosmole/kg, 800 mL) was administered via gastric feeding tube over 30 min with 45° head upright position. GVAL was measured at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after loading. GEN success status using clinical criteria was assessed at 72 h after the starting GEN protocol. The receiving operating characteristic (ROC) and c statistic were used for discrimination at each time point of GVAL. Results: A total of 32 patients were enrolled and completed the protocol. 14 patients (43.7%) were nonsuccessful GEN. The nonsuccess group was found to have significantly more GVAL than the other group at all-time points during the test (P < 0.05). The most discriminating point of GVAL for the prediction of nonsuccess was 150 mL at 120 min after loading with a sensitivity of 92.3%, specificity of 88.9%, positive predictive value of 85.7%, negative predictive value of 94.1%, and ROC area 0.97 (95% confidence interval 0.91–1.00). Conclusion: A high GVAL following sucrose gastric loading test might be a method to predict nonsuccess GEN in critically ill surgical patients.

While percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a well-known approach for achieving enteral feeding, direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (DPEJ) is a technique that allows endoscopic placement of percutaneous/transabdominal feeding tube directly into the jejunum. It offers a non-surgical alternative for postpyloric enteral feeding for long-term nutritional support when gastric feeding is not technically possible or is inappriopriate. Conventionally DPEJ is done with pediatric colonoscope or small bowel enteroscope. Here, we report a case where DPEJ was accomplished with gastroscope.

In veterinary patients, postgastric feeding is indicated for uncontrollable gastric vomiting, gastroparesis, biliary tract disease, pancreatitis, and for patients at increased risk for aspirating secondary to decreased mentation, prolonged recumbency, or an unprotected airway. Postgastric feeding may be implemented via the placement of a jejunal feeding tube. These tubes can be placed surgically (jejunostomy tubes) or with fluoroscopic or endoscopic guidance. This article will focus on methods of jejunal feeding-tube placement, advantages and disadvantages of the methods described, and complications associated with jejunal feeding.

The "pancreatic rest" concept is entrenched in the management of acute pancreatitis. As a result, "nonstimulatory" feeding has been widely advocated in patients with this disease, being parenteral nutrition 2-3 decades ago and jejunal tube feeding in the past decade. However, accumulating clinical evidence from the fields of acute pancreatitis and critical care medicine suggests that gastric feeding is as safe and effective as jejunal feeding in most patients. This has paved the way for a new conceptual framework called "gut rousing." Acute pancreatitis management now requires consideration of gut function. Enteral nutrition is a gut-directed therapy, and avoiding stimulation of the pancreas in patients with acute pancreatitis need not overshadow the main goal of maintaining or restoring gut function.

Objective: To determine whether adding erythromycin to a gastric feeding regimen could render it as effective in meeting nutritional needs as transpyloric feeding. Design: Randomized, controlled study. Setting: University hospital medical, surgical, and neurologic care intensive care units. Patients: Critically ill patients, requiring a projected 96 hrs of enteral feeding, who had no specific indication for tube location (gastric or transpyloric). Eighty patients were randomized. Interventions: Patients were randomized to gastric feeding with erythromycin (200 mg IV) given every 8 hrs or feeding through a transpylorically placed feeding tube. Goal rate and feeding advancement were determined by protocol. Measurements and Main Results: During the 96-hr period, the gastric group received 74% of their goal calories and the transpyloric group received 67%. The only day on which gastric feedings were superior was the first study day, where the gastric group attained 55% of their goal, compared with 44% in the ...

Since cyclosporin A (CsA)-induced overgrowth seldom occurs at sites distant from teeth, the periodontal ligament has been considered significant. The aim of this study was to examine overgrowth occurrence at the edentulous ridge--the sites without the ligament--after CsA therapy in rats.After extracting all right maxillary molars, 16 Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a 2-week healing period. The animals were separated into CsA and control groups. CsA rats received 15 mg/kg of CsA by gastric feeding for 4 weeks, while the control group received only mineral oil. At the end of study, all animals were sacrificed and stone models were immediately obtained by rubber-based impressions. The edentulous ridge morphology, including the bucco-lingual width and the vertical height, was measured on the models. For histometry, 10 sections were selected from the edentulous ridge of each animal after undecalcified tissue preparation. The soft tissue areas of the edentulous ridge and the trabecular bone morphology of the dental alveolus were measured.CsA therapy produced a significant increase of the ridge width and height, measured from the stone models, when compared to the control group. Under histometry, CsA resulted in a significant increase of the epithelium, connective tissue, and total soft tissue areas. The measured trabecular bone volume was affected by both examining factors: the drug therapy and the location of the dental alveolus. CsA therapy produced a significant loss of bone volume but a significant increase of the bone-specific surface area. Although the mean osteoid volume was similar between CsA and control groups, a significant decrease of the fractional formation surface in the CsA group was revealed.An enlarged edentulous ridge and an altered dental alveolar bone morphology were observed in CsA-treated animals at the end of the study; therefore, we suggest that CsA may induce not only a soft tissue overgrowth but also an alveolar bone alteration at the edentulous ridge. The hypothesis that tooth or periodontal ligament is an essential component for the overgrowth development is questioned.

Nifedipine (NIF) may aggravate cyclosporin A (CsA)-induced gingival overgrowth because the potentiated gingival overgrowth has been observed in the patients treated with CsA and NIF. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether NIF could aggravate the CsA-induced gingival overgrowth in a rat model.Ninety male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 6 groups: the first group received 8 mg/kg of CsA daily by gastric feeding for 6 weeks; the second and third groups received NIF daily at a dosage of 10 or 50 mg/kg; the fourth and fifth groups received CsA (8 mg/kg) and NIF (10 or 50 mg/kg); and the sixth group received solvents as a negative control. Gingival dimensions (including bucco-lingual depth, mesio-distal width, and vertical height) were assessed bi-weekly from impressed stone models of the mandibular incisal region. At the end of the experiment, the animals were sacrificed. Following histopathological procedures, serial horizontal sections were obtained at the base of the central incisal papilla. Two tissue levels were selected for histometric analysis. Level 1 was defined as the point where the lingual gingiva embraced the bucco-lingual midpoint of the roots and the level 2 as the point where the lingual gingiva at the enamel-dentinal junction approximated the bucco-proximal angle of the roots. The bucco-lingual depth and the mesio-distal width of the papilla were recorded on 5 consecutive sections at the 2 levels, respectively.At the 6-week observations, the gingival dimensions (including the depth, width, and height) significantly increased after CsA therapy and the increasing treatment duration; however, only the mesio-distal width increased after NIF therapy. For NIF therapy alone, a positive linear relation was noted by increased NIF treatment dosages in all gingival dimensions at week 6. But, this relationship was not found in the combined therapies. By histometry, tissue dimensions increased following single drug therapy, either CsA or NIF, at both levels. In animals with the combined therapies, the tissue dimensions decreased if the animals received 10 mg NIF, while they rebounded to control levels with the 50 mg dosage. A dose-dependent positive pattern by NIF was noted in tissue dimensions, but the pattern did not occur in animals that received combined therapy.The gingival dimensions increased after CsA or NIF therapy, although they were more prevalent with CsA. But the augmenting pattern in gingival morphology observed with CsA therapy decreased when the animals received additional NIF. Therefore, we question whether NIF is a critical factor in aggravating the CsA-induced gingival overgrowth.

Twenty, 5-week-old, male, Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a control and a cyclosporin A (CSA) group for evaluating effects of the drug on condylar cartilage. Animals in the treatment group daily received CSA (15 mg/kg body wt) in mineral oil by gastric feeding over a 4-week observation interval. Control animals received mineral oil only. Five animals from each group were killed at weeks 2 and 4 of study. After histological processing, five tissue sections from the mid-region of the condyle were selected and examined. Three compositional zones (articular fibrous, proliferative, and hypertrophic) of the superior, posteriosuperior and posterior regions of the condylar cartilage were evaluated by light microscopy. At week 2, total condylar cartilage thickness was similar in the CSA and control groups, but the thickness of each zone was altered in CSA-treated animals, including a decrease of the fibrous and proliferative zones and an increase in hypertrophic zone compared to control (P0.05). At week 4, CSA-treated animals exhibited overall decreased cartilage thickness, including decreased thickness of each zone compared to control (P0.05). The results suggest that CSA has an inhibitory effect on the maturation of the mandibular condyle in rats.

Lipid-laden macrophages (LLM) in tracheal aspirates are reported to be pathognomonic findings in exo- and endogenous lipoid pneumonia in adults. A pilot study was carried out to evaluate the effect of lipid infusion on the LLM index of the tracheal aspirates from ventilated neonates. All intubated infants were eligible for the study. Infants receiving parenteral nutrition had intravenous (IV) lipid introduced by 4–7 days of age; most samples after 7 days were from infants receiving IV lipid. Four infants received minimal gastric feeding; none had evidence of aspiration pneumonia. Tracheal aspirates from 28 infants were analyzed for the LLM index. Alveolar macrophages were graded 0–4 in direct relation to the amount of lipid per cell. One hundred macrophages were graded; the maximum possible LLM index was 400. Two hundred forty-five of 387 tracheal aspirate samples were acceptable for analysis. LLM indices increased during the first week after birth; the mean LLM index then continued in the same range, but with a wide distribution of individual values. The mean LLM index from infants receiving an IV lipid infusion during days 4–7 was 87.9 (SD = 44.8), and was significantly higher compared to 58.7 (SD = 40.8) in infants receiving no IV lipid (P 100. These observations invalidate the use of the LLM index >100 as proof of aspiration pneumonia in this group of infants. Pediatr Pulmonol. 1999; 28:101–108. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The first case report of gingival overgrowth induced by nifedipine (NIF), a calcium-beta blocker, was in 1984. However, the association between gingival alterations and the drug therapy of sodium diphenyl hydantoinate was initially described in 1939. The purpose of the experimental study was to examine the effect of NIF on gingival morphology in an animal model. Forty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups. Animals in each group daily received NIF in dimethyl sulfoxide by gastric feeding at a dosage of 0 (control), 30, or 50 mg/kg body weight for 9 weeks. Gingival gross morphology was assessed tri-weekly from stone models obtained from the mandibular incisal region. Animals were sacrificed at the end of study and tissue blocks were processed for histopathologic and histometric evaluation. Histometric analysis was performed at 5 selected tissue levels. Macro- and microscopic significantly increased gingival dimensions were demonstrated in NIF-treated animals compared to control. Although a fibrovascular tissue was observed in the tooth-gingiva interface for both NIF-treated and control animals, it was thicker and appeared earlier in NIF-treated animals. The results of the present study suggest that gingival overgrowth can be induced by NIF in rats and that the gingival overgrowth appears dose dependent.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy with endoscopic push-type gastrostomy tubes using CT and fluoroscopic guidance.CONCLUSION. Percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy using CT and fluoroscopic guidance with push-type tubes is a safe and effective means of gastric feeding that has few complications and offers an alternative to introducer-placed gastrostomy tubes.

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of plaque retention on cyclosporine A (CsA)-induced gingival overgrowth. Forty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats, 15 for each of three CsA dosage conditions, were unilaterally ligated around the first mandibular molar (plaque retention). The silk ligature was left in place for 6 weeks. Contralateral first molars served as unligated controls. The daily dosage of CsA, administered by gastric feeding, was 0, 3, or 10 mg/kg body weight. Stone models from biweekly impressions of the molar sites were used to investigate development of gingival overgrowth. Rats were sacrificed at 6 weeks for histopathological and histometric examination of the molar sites. Gingival overgrowth was significantly increased in sites with higher CsA dosage, longer treatment duration, and ligation. Gingival overgrowth was enhanced in ligated sites regardless of CsA dosage. However, the odds ratio of ligated over unligated sites for gingival overgrowth increased with increasing CsA dosage. The histopathological and histometric examination revealed significantly increased gingival volume in ligated sites in CsA-treated animals. The tissue enlargement included both the epithelium and the connective tissue; however, the epithelium to connective tissue ratio remained unaltered. Within limitations of the study, we suggest that plaque retention magnifies CsA-induced gingival overgrowth; thus, dental plaque appears to be a cofactor in the development of CsA-induced gingival overgrowth.

Gingival dimensions and histopathologic alterations in periodontium were examined in rats continuously exposed to cyclosporin-A (CSA). 60 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 2 groups. Rats in the test group daily received CSA in mineral oil by gastric feeding at a dosage of 30 mg/kg body weight for 6 weeks. Rats in the control group received mineral oil only. 10 rats from each group were sacrificed at 2-week intervals. Gingival dimensions were assessed from stone models obtained from the maxillary and mandibular incisal regions. Horizontal, sagittal and frontal tissue sections were obtained from these regions as well. Gingival dimensions in the mandibular and maxillary incisal regions were significantly increased in rats exposed to CSA. Light-microscopic observations revealed a granulation tissue formation at tooth-gingiva interface and an irregular bony surface on dental alveoli in experimental animals. Because both soft and hard tissue of periodontium in experimental rats being significantly effected by CSA compared to control animals, we hypothesized that the periodontium is a target tissue for CSA.

Tools and techniques for enteral access have changed dramatically in large part due to advancements in the fields of endoscopy, laparoscopy, and radiology. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube placement is now the standard of gastric feeding access since its development by Gauderer and Ponsky in 1980. The percutaneous endoscopic technique allows for safe and feasible access without the need for general anesthesia or laparotomy in the majority of patients. Using the principles of this initial innovation, minimally invasive methods to access the gastrointestinal tract have expanded tremendously. In this chapter, we outline the evolution of minimally invasive tools and techniques for enteral access.

Background In about one-fifth of radiographs performed in neonates, no exact gastric feeding tube position can be defined. Objectives To determine whether injection of air via feeding tube before taking radiographs improves radiological assessment of its position. Methods In the study group (n=153), air was injected via gastric feeding tube before taking a radiograph. The tube position on radiographs was compared with a blinded control group (n=381) with no injection of air. Results The definition of exact gastric tube position was possible in 95% of the study group compared with 78% in the control group (p Conclusion Injection of air before taking a radiograph significantly improves the definition of exact gastric feeding tube position in neonates.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patient with a stroke in home treatment, investigating physical capacity, mental status and anthropometric analysis. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Fortaleza/CE, from January to April of 2010. Sixty-one individuals monitored by a home care program of three tertiary hospitals were investigated, through interviews and the application of scales. The majority of individuals encountered were female (59%), elderly, bedridden, with a low educational level, a history of other stroke, a high degree of dependence for basic (73.8%) and instrumental (80.3 %) activities of daily living, and a low cognitive level (95.1%). Individuals also presented with tracheostomy, gastric feeding and urinary catheter, difficulty hearing, speaking, chewing, swallowing, and those making daily use of various medications. It was concluded that home care by nurses is an alternative for care of those individuals with a stroke. La propuesta del estudio fue evaluar al paciente con accidente cerebro vascular en tratamiento domiciliario, se investigó la capacidad funcional, el estado mental y el análisis antropométrico. Estudio transversal desarrollado en Fortaleza/CE, de enero a abril del 2010. Se investigaron 61 personas acompañadas por el programa de atención domiciliaria de tres hospitales de nivel terciario a través de entrevistas y aplicación de escalas. Se encontró en la mayoría: mujeres (59%), adultos mayores, postrados en cama, con bajo nivel de educación, con historia de otros accidentes cerebro vasculares, alto grado de dependencia para las actividades básicas (73,8%) e instrumentales (80,3%) de la vida diaria y bajo nivel cognitivo (95,1%). También tenían traqueotomía, sonda nasogástrica y vesical, dificultad para oír, hablar, masticar, tragar y usaban varios medicamentos diarios. Se concluye que la atención domiciliaria de enfermería se consolida como alternativa de cuidado a las personas con accidente cerebro vascular. A proposta do estudo foi avaliar o paciente com acidente vascular cerebral em tratamento domiciliário, investigando capacidade funcional, estado mental e análise antropométrica. Estudo transversal realizado em Fortaleza/CE, de janeiro a abril de 2010. Foram investigados 61 indivíduos acompanhados pelo programa de assistência domiciliar de três hospitais terciários, mediante entrevista e aplicação de escalas. Encontrou-se maioria do sexo feminino (59%), idosos, acamados, com baixa escolaridade, com história de outros eventos de acidente vascular cerebral, elevado grau de dependência para as atividades básicas (73,8%) e instrumentais (80,3%) da vida diária e baixo nível cognitivo (95,1%). Também apresentavam traqueostomia, sondagem gástrica e vesical, dificuldades para ouvir, falar, mastigar, engolir e faziam uso diário de vários medicamentos. Concluiu-se que o atendimento domiciliário de enfermagem consolida-se como alternativa de assistência aos indivíduos com acidente vascular cerebral.

Despite considerable efforts to define energy requirements for critically ill patients, no single method has been found to be precise and unbiased for all patients. As a result, clinicians have used various methods that may overestimate energy requirements for some patients. Provision of target caloric intake without regard to the complications of overfeeding, such as hyperglycemia, hypercapnia, or gastric feeding intolerance, could result in overall detrimental clinical outcome. Inadequate nutrition support is also associated with adverse clinical outcomes that necessitate optimization of delivery and tolerance of the nutrition regimen. A pivotal paper by Krishnan and colleagues published in 2003 brought these issues to the forefront of clinical practice. Key papers that support or refute the practice of "permissive underfeeding" are reviewed. Further research is necessary to determine the minimum amount of nutrition required to achieve a therapeutic benefit as well as to ascertain at what amount of additional nutrition intake offers no further improvement in clinical outcome.

OBJETIVO: Caracterizar a transição da alimentação gástrica por via oral quanto à maturidade e peso do prematuro, vias e técnicas de administração e duração da transição até a alimentação oral exclusiva. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo com dados levantados em prontuários de 116 prematuros assistidos nas unidades de cuidados intensivos e intermediários neonatais de um hospital universitário do município de Ribeirão Preto - SP. RESULTADOS: A idade gestacional corrigida média foi de 36 semanas ao início da alimentação oral e de 37 semanas quando a alimentação ocorreu total por via oral. O peso médio foi de 1.743 gramas ao início da alimentação oral e peso médio de 1.934 gramas quando a alimentação ocorreu total por via oral. Durante o período de transição foram utilizadas uma ou mais técnicas de administração do leite. O uso da gavagem em conjunto com outras técnicas (89,5%) predominou em especial, complementada pelo seio materno e copo (56,9%) e a duração da transição alimentar variou de menos de 1 a 47 dias. CONCLUSÃO: A maturidade e o peso ao nascer, além das condições clínicas decorrentes dessas variáveis, podem interferir no processo de transição da alimentação láctea do prematuro. Considerando as vantagens da amamentação materna, sua prática deve ser iniciada o mais precocemente possível neste segmento populacional de risco. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the transition from oral gastric feeding related to: maturity and weight of premature babies, methods and techniques of administration and, duration of the transition to only oral feeding. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of data gathered in records of 116 infants attended in intensive care units and neonatal intermediate in a university hospital in Ribeirao Preto-SP. RESULTS: The mean-corrected of gestational age was 36 weeks at the start of oral feeding and 37 weeks when the supply came entirely by the oral route. The average weight was 1,743 grams at the start of oral feeding and 1,934 grams when the food came entirely by the oral route. During the transition period were used one or more means of milk administration. The use of forced feeding in conjunction with other techniques (89.5%) predominated, this was complemented by breast feeding and milk bottle (56.9%); the duration of feeding transition ranged from less than 1 day to 47 days. CONCLUSION: The maturity and birth weight, in addition to the clinical conditions from these variables, can interfere in the process of milk feeding transition in preterm babies. Considering the advantages of breastfeeding, the practice should be initiated as early as possible in this risk population segment. OBJETIVO: Caracterizar la transición de la alimentación gástrica por vía oral en lo que se refiere a: madurez y peso del prematuro, vías y técnicas de administración y, duración de la transición hasta la alimentación oral exclusiva. MÉTODOS: Es un estudio retrospectivo con datos levantados en fichas de 116 prematuros asistidos en las unidades de cuidados intensivos e intermedios neonatales de un hospital universitario del municipio de Ribeirao Preto- SP. RESULTADOS: La edad de gestación corregida promedio fue de 36 semanas en el inicio de la alimentación oral y de 37 semanas cuando la alimentación ocurrió totalmente por la vía oral. El peso promedio fue de 1.743 gramos en el inicio de la alimentación oral y el peso promedio de 1.934 gramos cuando la alimentación ocurrió totalmente por la vía oral. Durante el período de transición fueron utilizadas una o más técnicas de administración de leche. El uso de alimentación forzada en conjunto con otras técnicas (89,5%) predominó, complementada por el seno materno y mamadera (56,9%); la duración de la transición alimentar varió de menos de 1 día a 47 días. CONCLUSIÓN: La madurez y el peso al nascer, además de las condiciones clínicas provenientes de esas variables, pueden interferir en el proceso de transición de la alimentación láctea del prematuro. Considerando las ventajas del amamantamiento materno, su práctica debe ser iniciada lo más precozmente posible en este segmento poblacional de riesgo.

Although parenteral nutrition is frequently administered to children undergoing treatment for malignancy, the use of naso-gastric feeding had been little studied. A randomized, controlled trial of supplementary naso-gastric feeding in children with newly diagnosed malignancy was therefore performed. Results showed that, contrary to popular belief, naso-gastric feeding is acceptable to and tolerated by children with malignancy even shortly after diagnosis and is welcomed by their parents. Naso-gastric feeding increased energy intake, promoted improvement in nutritional status as measured by mid-upper arm circumference and appeared to increase general well-being. Further studies are being undertaken to determine whether naso-gastric supplementary feeding is also of objective benefit.

ALS is progressive with increasing patient needs for durable medical equipment (DME) and interventions (gastric feeding tube - PEG, and non-invasive ventilation - NIV). We performed a chart review of deceased patients to determine the time-course of needs and their estimated costs. A timeline of needs was based on when clinic personnel felt an item was necessary. The point in time when an item or intervention was needed was expressed as a percentage of a patient's total disease duration. A wide range of DME and interventions was needed irrespective of site of ALS symptom onset (bulbar, upper, lower extremity), beginning at 10% of disease duration of lower extremity onset and increasing thereafter for all sites. The cumulative probability of costs of items and interventions began at 25%-50% of disease duration and increased to between $18,000 and $32,000 (USD), highest for lower extremity onset due to the cost of wheelchairs. We conclude that a high percentage of ALS patients will need a full spectrum of major DME items and interventions during the second half of disease duration. This results in a linear rise in costs over the second half of the disease duration.

Summary Fluoroscopic removal of radio-opaque foreign bodies from the stomach Fluoroscopic removal of smooth radioopaque foreign bodies from the stomach can be proposed to asymptomatic patients. The authors report the case of the removal of two foreign bodies from the stomach using a less invasive technique which requires a gastric feeding tube and a metallic guidewire.