Drawbacks of Confirming OG Tube Placement with X-Rays
When a person loses their ability to ingest food and liquids normally, an orogastric (OG) tube is one of the most reliable ways for that person to get the nutrients they need. However, placing an OG tube is an in-depth process that requires several important steps. Among the most important of those steps is confirming the placement of the OG tube.
There are a few different methods for confirming OG tube placement, but not all of them are equally desirable. For example, although common, using an X-ray machine is not the best approach. To help you understand why that is the case, we created this article to detail the drawbacks of confirming OG tube placement with X-rays.
Confirming OG Tube Placement with X-Ray is Inefficient
When it comes to the drawbacks of using X-ray for OG tube placement confirmation, the first issue that comes to mind is inefficiency. While X-rays are usually accurate, it can take a while for you to receive the results. Fortunately, there are other methods of confirming OG tube placement that are able to provide results almost immediately. For anyone who wants to quickly confirm tube placement, an X-ray is not the way to go.
Confirming OG Tube Placement with X-Ray Can Become Expensive
When using an OG tube, the chances are that you’ll need to confirm proper placement more than once. Unfortunately, repeated use of an X-ray machine can become incredibly expensive, even if you have good health insurance.
Whenever you need to undergo medical care, you’re likely stressed out to a degree as it is. Worrying about medical costs will only exacerbate that stress level, which is another reason why using X-rays to confirm OG tube placement is far from the best choice for most people.
Confirming OG Tube Placement with X-Ray Exposes the Body to Radiation
Since X-rays are an incredibly reliable and popular diagnostic tool, many people are quick to assume that they are entirely harmless. However, that is far from the case. Each time you undergo an X-ray, you’ll be exposing your body to potentially harmful radiation.
Among other concerns, an X-ray machine has a carcinogenic effect, making it more likely that you’ll receive a cancer diagnosis later in life. After learning that, most people will feel motivated to limit the number of X-rays they receive in their life, which is just another reason why using X-rays for OG tube placement is not the best idea.
Confirming OG Tube Placement with X-Ray is Inconvenient
Finally, when you rely on X-rays to confirm your OG tube placement, you will quickly find that the process is very inconvenient. Using an X-ray machine requires you to visit a medical facility that has the necessary equipment. It also requires you to spend more time and money than other OG tube placement confirmation methods.
When using an OG tube, you’ll need to confirm the placement multiple times. If you don’t want to seek the assistance of a medical professional in a specific medical facility, then you would be wise to move away from using X-rays as your primary placement confirmation approach.
Why It's Important to Confirm OG Tube Placement
Confirming OG tube placement is vital to the correct use of an OG tube. If you do not confirm placement, then you have no way of knowing whether or not the tube was misplaced initially or has moved at all since placement. If you attempt to use an OG tube that has been misplaced, you risk serious medical complications such as pneumonia.
By contrast, responsible use of an OG tube involves repeatedly confirming placement. Only by confirming placement regularly can you ensure that you are using your OG tube in the safest and most effective way possible.
When to Confirm OG Tube Placement
Since we are discussing the methods of confirming OG tube placement and the importance of doing so, you are likely wondering how often you will need to perform an OG tube placement confirmation. The answer is that there are a few key instances in which you should always confirm OG tube placement.
The first instance in which you must confirm OG tube placement is just after the tube was initially placed. Confirmation of placement is a necessary final step of OG tube placement that cannot be overlooked. As is true regarding initial placements, you’ll also need to confirm the placement of an OG tube any time that you replace it.
However, the initial placement is not the only time when confirmation is necessary. In addition, you’ll need to confirm the correct placement of your OG tube before each use. Confirming placement before use is another crucial safety guideline that ensures the use of your tube is safe.
Clearly, confirmation of OG tube placement is something that must occur repeatedly during OG tube use. Since confirmation should take place so often, it is helpful to find a confirmation method that is more convenient than relying on an X-ray every time.
A Better Way to Confirm OG Tube Placement
If you have read this far, then you already understand the critical downsides to using X-rays as the main way to test OG tube placement. You’re also probably considering which OG tube placement confirmation methods are more advantageous than using an X-ray.
Fortunately, there is a method for confirming OG tube placement that is better than using X-rays in almost every way. This preferred method involves using a pH testing kit like the RightSpotpH®.
Using a pH test to confirm OG tube placement has several advantages compared to other methods. pH tests are convenient in that you can perform them in almost any location. Likewise, they are easy to use and provide results right away.
Along with being quick, convenient, and easy to use, pH tests are also a more affordable approach than using X-rays every time you need to confirm OG tube placement. That factor, along with the other downsides of confirming OG tube placement with X-rays continues to prove that the RightSpotpH® is the best method to use. For more information on the RightSpotpH® call RightBio Metrics today at 440-526-0160.
