Gastrostomy Tube Use in Pediatrics: A Systematic Review

Context: Despite frequency of gastrostomy placement procedures in children, there remains considerable variability in preoperative work-up and procedural technique of gastrostomy placement and a paucity of literature regarding patient-centric outcomes.

Objectives: This review summarizes existing literature and provides consensus-driven guidelines for patients throughout the enteral access decision-making process.

Data sources: PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, and Scopus.

Study selection: Included studies were identified through a combination of the search terms "gastrostomy," "g-tube," and "tube feeding" in children.

Data extraction: Relevant data, level of evidence, and risk of bias were extracted from included articles to guide formulation of consensus summaries of the evidence. Meta-analysis was conducted when data afforded a quantitative analysis.

Evidence review: Four themes were explored: preoperative nasogastric feeding tube trials, decision-making surrounding enteral access, the role of preoperative imaging, and gastrostomy insertion techniques. Guidelines were generated after evidence review with multidisciplinary stakeholder involvement adhering to GRADE methodology.

Results: Nearly 900 publications were reviewed, with 58 influencing final recommendations. In total, 17 recommendations are provided, including: (1) tTrial of home nasogastric feeding is safe and should be strongly considered before gastrostomy placement, especially for patients who are likely to learn to eat by mouth; (2) rRoutine contrast studies are not indicated before gastrostomy placement; and (3) lLaparoscopic placement is associated with the best safety profile.

Limitations: Recommendations were generated almost exclusively from observational studies and expert opinion, with few studies describing direct comparisons between GT placement and prolonged nasogastric feeding tube trial.

Conclusions: Additional patient- and family-centric evidence is needed to understand critical aspects of decision-making surrounding surgically placed enteral access devices for children.