Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is the most commonly used method of access to the gastrointestinal tract in long‑term home enteral nutrition (HEN) in patients with neurogenic deglutition and stenosis of the upper gastrointestinal tract caused by tumour. One of the most common complications of HEN is pneumonia resulting from aspiration of saliva or food. The risk of aspiration and the potential consequent sudden death is further increased by concomitant delayed gastric emptying and gastroesophageal reflux disease. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of changing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy to a gastrojejunostomy inserted through the PEG (PEG-J) in the prevention of aspiration pneumonia. MATERIAŁ AND METHODS: The study involved 158 patients receiving HEN by percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), aged 19 to 90 years. Indications for enteral nutrition in the study subjects included: neurogenic dysphagia--95 patients (60%), and obstruction of the upper gastrointestinal tract due to cancer--63 patients (40%).
Results: The pulmonary and gastrointestinal complications were observed in 28 patients receiving gastric nutrition through PEG within one to nine months following the start of the feeding. In 20 patients, because of the symptoms of aspiration pneumonia with accompanying gastroesophageal reflux and delayed gastric emptying, PEG was changed to PEG-J as an alternative. There were no reports on food reflux and aspiration pneumonia in patients whose PEG has been replaced by PEG-J.
Conclusions: The use of PEG-J appears to prevent the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia in patients receiving home enteral nutrition in the long-term.