PEG tube
Meaning of PEG tube: A feeding tube placed into the stomach through the abdominal wall with the help of a camera, avoiding an open operation.
Definition of PEG tube
A PEG tube is a feeding tube that passes through the skin of the abdomen directly into the stomach. The letters stand for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, which describes how it is placed: a camera is passed down into the stomach, a small opening is made from outside, and the tube is drawn into position. Liquid feed, water and medicines are given through it.
How is it placed?
The stomach is inflated with air through an endoscope so that it presses against the abdominal wall. A light shone from inside can then be seen through the skin, marking a safe spot clear of bowel and liver. The skin is numbed, a needle and thread are passed in, the endoscopist catches the thread and draws it out through the mouth, and the tube is pulled down the gullet and out through the abdominal wall. A soft disc holds the inner end against the stomach lining and a bumper sits on the skin outside. It is usually done with sedation rather than general anesthesia and takes a short time.
How does it compare with a tube through the nose?
| Nasogastric tube | PEG tube | |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Nose, throat, gullet | Through the abdominal wall |
| Placement | At the bedside | Endoscopy unit |
| Intended duration | Weeks | Months or longer |
| Visible | Yes, taped to the face | Hidden under clothing |
| Displacement | Common | Less frequent |
A nasogastric tube is the usual first step when the need may be short-lived, and a gastrostomy tube is considered when it is likely to be long.
Who is it used for?
It is used when swallowing is unsafe or cannot supply enough, while the stomach and bowel still work. That covers stroke with impaired swallowing, progressive neurological illness such as motor neuron disease, cancers of the head, neck or gullet that obstruct or are being irradiated, severe injury, and some children with feeding difficulties. Feeding by this route is a form of enteral nutrition, meaning the gut is still doing the work of absorption.
What problems occur?
Redness and infection around the site are the commonest, followed by leakage of stomach contents onto the skin and blockage of the tube by thickened feed or crushed tablets. The internal disc can gradually become embedded in the stomach wall, and a tube pulled out early leaves a track that has not yet sealed.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Nutrition was continued through a PEG tube after swallowing assessment showed an unsafe swallow.
Good to know
A PEG tube is placed for feeding rather than for draining the stomach, and the two functions belong to different kinds of tube.
Word origin
Where “PEG tube” comes from
Percutaneous joins the Latin per, meaning through, to cutis, meaning skin; gastrostomy joins the Greek gaster, stomach, to stoma, an opening.