P483 - NASAL BRIDLE VERSUS TAPE SECUREMENT OF NASOENTERAL FEEDING TUBES: PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

P483

NASAL BRIDLE VERSUS TAPE SECUREMENT OF NASOENTERAL FEEDING TUBES: PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

M. Klos^1,2,*, P. van Duijvendijk³, E. Kouw⁴, P. Mensink¹, T. R. Schermer^5,6

¹Gastroenterology, Medical Spectrum Twente, Enschede, ²Dietetics, ³Surgery, ⁴Gastroenterology, ⁵Science Support Office, Gelre Hospitals, Apeldoorn, ⁶Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands

Rationale: Nasal bridles are an alternative to adhesive tape for securing nasoenteral tubes, but high-quality evidence on their effectiveness and safety remains limited. This study aimed to compare (1) the incidence of inadvertent tube dislodgement and (2) complications, pain and discomfort between securement with adhesive tape and nasal bridle in clinical patients.

Methods: A 14-day two-arm RCT was conducted in patients receiving a nasoenteral feeding tube due to gastric intolerance or aspiration risk. The primary outcome was the occurrence of a first tube dislodgement within 14 days. Secondary outcomes included securement-related complications and patient-reported tube-related pain and discomfort, measured using visual analogue scales (VAS). Data were analyzed using logistic regression and mixed-model analysis.

Results: Seventy-eight patients were included: 40 in the tape group and 38 in the bridle group. Mean ages were 66.2 (SD 13.9) and 63.7 (SD 15.0) years, respectively. Gastroparesis was the most common indication in both groups (tape: 72.5%, bridle: 73.7%), followed by obstruction/stenosis. Within 14 days, inadvertent tube dislodgement occurred in 9 patients (22.5%) in the tape group and 2 patients (5.3%) in the bridle group (OR=0.19, 95%CI: 0.04–0.95). The mean time to dislodgement was 6.1 (SD 5.0) days for tape and 8.5 (SD 6.4) days for bridle. Complications occurred in 18 tape patients (45.0%) and 7 bridle patients (18.4%) (OR=0.28, 95%CI: 0.10–0.77), with sinusitis being the most common complication. No significant differences in VAS scores for pain or discomfort were found between groups.

Conclusion: Nasal bridles significantly reduced inadvertent tube dislodgement and securement-related complications compared to adhesive tape, without increasing pain or discomfort. These findings support nasal bridles as a safe and effective method for securing nasoenteral feeding tubes.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared