Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Complications and outcomes of feeding tubes in critically ill dogs
By Cavanaugh, Ryan P et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2008·Animal Medical Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of surgically placed gastrojejunostomy feeding tubes in critically ill dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 26 critically ill dogs underwent surgery to have gastrojejunostomy feeding tubes placed to help with nutrition due to various gastrointestinal diseases. While the procedure was generally successful, about half of the dogs experienced complications related to the tubes, such as kinking or migration, and many had minor issues at the tube site like redness and discharge. Despite these challenges, some dogs were able to survive for an average of 39 days after the surgery, with a few still alive at the end of the study. This feeding method can be beneficial for dogs needing special nutritional support after surgery.
People also search for: dog feeding tube complications · gastrojejunostomy tube for dogs · dog gastrointestinal disease treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate complications and outcomes associated with surgical placement of gastrojejunostomy feeding tubes in dogs with naturally occurring disease. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 26 dogs. Multiple preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables were evaluated. Daily postoperative abdominal radiographic examinations were performed to determine the presence of the following mechanical tube complications: kinking, coiling, knotting, and migration. Tube stoma abnormalities (erythema, cellulitis, and discharge) were observed daily and recorded by use of a standardized visual analog grading scale. Additionally, presence of complications was compared with median survival times. RESULTS: The most common indication for gastrojejunostomy tube placement was gastrointestinal disease (n = 11), with confirmed septic peritonitis in 8 of 11 dogs. Other indications for gastrojejunostomy tube placement included extrahepatic biliary surgery (n = 6) and pancreatic disease (9). Mean +/- SD surgical time required for tube placement was 26 +/- 14 minutes. Overall, mechanical tube complication rate was 46% (12/26), including coiling (7), migration (4), and kinking (2). Overall minor tube stoma complication rate was 77% (20/26) and included erythema (16), cellulitis (13), and discharge (17). Dislodgement or self-induced tube trauma resulted in accidental tube removal in 2 of 26 dogs, and inadvertent tube damage necessitated premature removal by the clinician in 1 of 26 dogs. Kaplan-Meier median survival time was 39 days with 13 of 26 dogs still alive. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Gastrojejunostomy tube placement affords flexibility in the postoperative nutritional regimen by allowing for postgastric feeding with simultaneous access to the stomach.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18241103/