Peritonitis from peg tube insertion in surgical intensive care unit patients: identification of risk factors and clinical outcomes

Pneumoperitoneum and PEG Dislodgement Secondary to Noninvasive Ventilation after PEG Tube Placement

We present a previously undescribed complication after noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for respiratory failure in a patient who required percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement for long-term nutrition after a complicated coronary bypass operation. A 54-year-old female diagnosed with unilateral vocal cord paralysis after emergent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) underwent an uncomplicated PEG tube placement. She was placed on intermittent NIV because of respiratory failure 24 hours after PEG placement, and NIV was continued for several days. Three days later, she was noted to have pneumoperitoneum on an upright chest X-ray. Abdominal CT scan revealed a large amount of pneumoperitoneum with the PEG tube in the correct position and no extravasation of enteric contrast from the stomach. Tube feeds were held and NIV was discontinued. Nonetheless, six days later, the patient was found on CT scan to have partial displacement of the PEG tube with leakage from the gastrotomy requiring operative repair. This case highlights the vulnerability of PEG tubes to management practices in the early postoperative period. Abdominal distention secondaryto NIV likely caused pressure necrosis of the PEG site with dislodgement of the tube. This case elicits considerations regarding future management practices of patients receiving NIV in the early postoperative period after PEG placement.

First Documented Case of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) Tube-Associated Bacterial Peritonitis due to Achromobacter Species with Literature Review

Introduction. Achromobacter species (spp.) peritonitis has seldom been identified in medical literature. Scarce cases of Achromobacter peritonitis described previously have been correlated with peritoneal dialysis and more sparingly with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Achromobacter exhibits intrinsic and acquired resistance, especially in chronic infections, to most antibiotics. This article conducts a literature review of all previously reported Achromobacter spp. peritonitis and describes the first reported case of Achromobacter peritonitis as a complication of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement. Discussion. Achromobacter peritonitis as a complication of PEG-tube placement has not been previously reported. In our patients' case, the recently placed PEG-tube with ascitic fluid leakage was identified as the most plausible infection source. Although a rare bacterial peritonitis pathogen, Achromobacter may be associated with wide antimicrobial resistance and unfavorable outcomes. Conclusion. No current guidelines provide significant guidance on treatment of PEG-tube peritonitis regardless of microbial etiology. Infectious Disease Society of America identifies various broad-spectrum antibiotics targeting nosocomial intra-abdominal coverage; some of these antimicrobial selections (such as cefepime and metronidazole combination) may yet be inadequate for widely resistant Achromobacter spp. Recognizably, the common antibiotics utilized for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, i.e., third generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones, to which Achromobacter is resistant and variably susceptible, respectively, would be extensively insufficient. Piperacillin/tazobactam (P/T) and carbapenem were identified to provide the most reliable coverage in vitro; clinically, 5 out of the 8 patients who received either P/T or a carbapenem, or both, eventually experienced clinical improvement.

Percutaneous Ultrasound Gastrostomy: A Novel Device and Bedside Procedure for Gastrostomy Tube Insertion Using Magnetic and Ultrasound Guidance

This paper describes a novel percutaneous ultrasound gastrostomy (PUG) procedure and the CoapTech point-of-care ultrasound magnet-aligned gastrostomy (PUMA-G) device, which were developed to allow the placement of gastrostomy tubes by physicians across a variety of specialties, using ultrasound equipment found in many nonspecialized medical locations while consuming fewer resources. The current practice for the placement of gastrostomy tubes requires highly specialized equipment and trained physicians, which can delay the performance of the procedure or make it inaccessible in some locations. The PUMA-G device consists of an orogastric catheter with a balloon that encloses a magnetic bar at its distal end and an external, handheld magnet. The orogastric tube is passed through the mouth or the nose and into the stomach. The external magnet is then used to maneuver the balloon to the desired location in the stomach, with feedback and guidance from real-time ultrasound visualization. The novelty of this approach is the use of magnets to create the static compressive force needed for coaptation, in which the stomach is pushed flush against the abdominal wall, allowing ultrasound visualization of the entire gastrostomy tract (skin to stomach), safe cutaneous puncture, and guidewire-assisted placement of the gastrostomy tube. The development of the PUMA-G device has been aided by benchtop and simulation testing in addition to canine and human cadaver studies. The PUMA-G device was used successfully in 29 of 30 cadaver tests, with the one failure attributed to operator error and not the device. Further testing in live patients will assess the safety of the procedure, the speed with which it can be completed, the cost savings, and other benefits the device might offer over the existing gastrostomy procedures.

Alexis St. Martin Gastropexy: A Novel Technique for Gastropexy During Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Placement

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a preferred method of long-term enteral nutritional support. Despite its ease of placement, it has a 4% major complication rate, requiring surgical intervention or hospitalization. Early PEG tube dislodgment can cause peritonitis, requiring emergent laparotomy at significant morbidity and cost. T-fasteners have been used as an adjunct gastropexy, but nearly one third migrate into the abdominal wall within the first 2 weeks. We describe a low-cost, minimally invasive technique using widely available surgical instruments to appose the gastric and abdominal walls.

METHODS

All PEG procedures were performed in our 60-bed surgical intensive care unit. Institutional IRB approval was obtained along with procedure specific consent for all patients. The adjunctive gastropexy procedure was performed on four patients at high risk for early PEG tube dislodgment. Following routine PEG tube placement, both ends of four 2-0 polyglactin ties were brought through the gastric and abdominal walls through separate stab incisions adjacent to the PEG tube exit site in the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions. These were tied in the subcutaneous tissue, securing the gastric wall to the abdominal wall.

RESULTS

No PEG tube complications occurred. All patients were discharged to long-term care facilities with PEG tubes intact or electively removed.

CONCLUSIONS

We describe the results of a pilot study for a cost-effective, easily implementable, adjunct technique, named after the namesake of our institution, to decrease the incidence and severity of complications associated with PEG tube dislodgment. It was used in 4 patients at high risk for PEG tube dislodgment with satisfactory early results in all 4. Further recruitment of larger numbers of patients using this technique is ongoing to determine if this technique is truly effective at reducing PEG tube complications.

Outcomes of Tracheostomy With Concomitant and Delayed Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy in the Neuroscience Critical Care Unit

BACKGROUND

In patients with severe neurologic conditions, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is typically performed either alone or with a tracheostomy. The characteristics and outcomes of patients receiving PEG concomitantly with a tracheostomy (CTPEG) and those receiving delayed PEG (DPEG) after a tracheostomy were compared.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study in a 24-bed neuroscience critical care unit (NCCU) at a tertiary care hospital. Consecutive patients admitted to the NCCU from April 2007 to July 2013 who underwent percutaneous tracheostomy and gastrostomy by the percutaneous tracheostomy team were included and grouped according to the timing of PEG placement: CTPEG versus DPEG.

RESULTS

Of the 290 patients, 234 (81%) received CTPEG. Demographic and clinical characteristics were similar among the 2 groups except for a lower median (interquartile range [IQR]) body mass index (BMI; 27 [22.67-31.60] versus 30.8 [24.55-40.06], P = .017) and lower rate of acute respiratory distress syndrome (3.85% vs 10.71%, P = .048) in the CTPEG cohort. Furthermore, 59% of CTPEG cohort were neurology patients while 63% of DPEG were neurosurgery patients, P = .004. Primary outcomes showed shorter mean NCCU length of stay (LOS; 25 [12] vs 33 [17] days, P < .001) and median hospital LOS (32 [25-43] vs 37 [31-56] days, P = .002) for the CTPEG cohort. Secondary outcomes showed higher predischarge prealbumin levels (15.6 [7.75] vs 11.58 [5.41], P = .021) and lower median overall hospital cost (US$123 860.20 [US$99 024-US$168 713.40] vs US$159 633.50 [US$121 312-US$240 213.10], P = .0003) in the CTPEG group. Anatomic contraindications were the most common reason for DPEG (30%).

CONCLUSIONS

Among institutions with a tracheostomy team, the practice of tracheostomy with concomitant PEG placement may be considered as feasible as delayed PEG in carefully selected neurocritically ill patients with possible advantages of overall shorter NCCU and hospital LOS, higher predischarge prealbumin, and lower hospital costs. These findings may aid in decisions regarding the timing of PEG placement in the NCCU. Further prospective studies are warranted.

Adverse events associated with percutaneous enteral access

Placement of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy or jejunostomy is a safe procedure with low periprocedural mortality, but overall mortality rates are high because of underlying disease conditions. These procedures are also associated with postprocedure complications. The clinically significant adverse events related to the procedures include infection (at tube site and peritonitis), bleeding, and aspiration. More rare associated events include buried bumpers, injury to adjacent viscera with subsequent fistula formation, and tumor seeding. There is a lack of guidelines about these procedures other than those concerning the use of antibiotics and the management of antithrombotics and anticoagulation before the procedure.

Technique for Percutaneous Fluoroscopically Guided G-Tube Placement in a High-BMI Patient

Enteral feeding is still the preferred method of nutritional support even in patients with excessive body mass index. Often, this mass poses a hindrance in performing routine procedures. We present a case describing the technique used to safely place a fluoroscopically guided G-tube in a patient with a significant nutritional deficit after repair of a ruptured thoracic aneurysm. Her admission weight was in excess of 180 Kg. However, protracted respiratory insufficiency and mechanical ventilation prolonged her hospital course. The G-tube was successfully placed using a fluoroscopically guided technique. The advantages of such an approach are discussed.

Enteral nutrition access devices

The ASGE Technology Committee provides reviews of existing, new, or emerging endoscopic technologies that have an impact on the practice of GI endoscopy. Evidence-based methodology is used, performing a MEDLINE literature search to identify pertinent clinical studies on the topic and a MAUDE (U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health) database search to identify the reported complications of a given technology. Both are supplemented by accessing the "related articles" feature of PubMed and by scrutinizing pertinent references cited by the identified studies. Controlled clinical trials are emphasized, but, in many cases, data from randomized, controlled trials are lacking. In such situations, large case series, preliminary clinical studies, and expert opinions are used. Technical data are gathered from traditional and Web-based publications, proprietary publications, and informal communications with pertinent vendors. Technology Status Evaluation Reports are drafted by 1 or 2 members of the ASGE Technology Committee, reviewed and edited by the committee as a whole, and approved by the ASGE Governing Board. When financial guidance is indicated, the most recent coding data and list prices at the time of publication are provided. For this review, the MEDLINE database was searched through August 2009 for articles related to endoscopy in patients requiring enteral feeding access by using the keywords "endoscopy," "percutaneous," "gastrostomy," "jejunostomy," "nasogastric," "nasoenteric," "nasojejunal," "transnasal," "feeding tube," "enteric," and "button." Technology Status Evaluation Reports are scientific reviews provided solely for educational and informational purposes. Technology Status Evaluation Reports are not rules and should not be construed as establishing a legal standard of care or as encouraging, advocating, requiring, or discouraging any particular treatment or payment for such treatment.