NG tube
Meaning of NG tube: The abbreviation written on charts for the nose-to-stomach tube, and the one most often confused with the other tubes on a ward.
Definition of NG tube
NG tube is the everyday abbreviation for a nasogastric tube, a thin flexible tube passed through a nostril, down the throat and esophagus, and into the stomach. It carries liquid feed, fluids and medicine in, and it can drain stomach contents out. The abbreviation appears constantly in notes and handovers, usually alongside the tube size and a note that its position was confirmed.
What do the letters stand for?
N is for naso, the nose, and G is for gastric, the stomach, so the name simply traces the path the tube takes. A closely related tube that enters through the mouth instead is written OG, for orogastric, and is chosen when the nose is unsuitable, such as after facial injury. Both end in the same place. The abbreviation says nothing about why the tube is there, and the same tube can be feeding in one person and draining in another.
How does it differ from the other tubes with similar names?
| Tube | Route | Ends in | Usual duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| NG tube | Nose | Stomach | Days to a few weeks |
| OG tube | Mouth | Stomach | Short, often during surgery |
| NJ tube | Nose | Small bowel | Weeks |
| PEG tube | Through the abdominal wall | Stomach | Months to years |
The distinction that matters most is temporary against long term. A tube through the nose is uncomfortable, irritates the nostril and throat, and is easily dislodged by coughing or by a confused hand, so it suits a problem expected to resolve. When feeding is likely to be needed for months, a tube placed directly through the abdominal wall replaces it.
What is it used for?
Two opposite purposes share one device. Feeding through it is a form of enteral nutrition, meaning nourishment delivered into a working gut rather than into a vein, and it is used when swallowing is unsafe or impossible but digestion is intact. Drainage is the reverse: when the bowel is obstructed or has stopped moving after surgery, stomach contents build up, and the tube lets them out to relieve vomiting and distension. Medicines can also be given down it, though not every tablet is suitable in that form.
How is its position checked?
A tube aimed at the esophagus can enter the windpipe instead, since the two openings sit side by side at the back of the throat. Position is therefore confirmed rather than assumed, most often by testing the acidity of what is drawn back up, and by x-ray when that is unclear. The check is repeated after coughing, vomiting or any sign the nasogastric tube has moved, because a tube can migrate after a correct start.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
An NG tube was placed for decompression after the obstruction was confirmed.
Good to know
A tube misplaced into the airway does not always provoke obvious coughing, particularly where the cough reflex is weak or consciousness is reduced, which is why position is confirmed before the tube is used rather than inferred from comfort.