A Safer, Smarter Way to Verify Tube Placement in the NICU

In neonatal care, accuracy is everything. NG/OG tube misplacement can lead to serious complications like non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP), feeding delays, prolonged hospital stays, and unnecessary radiation exposure.

Yet, despite these risks, more than 70% of U.S. hospitals still use auscultation—the “whoosh test”—to confirm tube placement, a method with no supporting clinical evidence. Leading nursing and patient safety organizations—including the AACN, CHA, and NPSA—have called for its immediate discontinuation.

The RightSpotpH® SmallBore (ENFit-compatible) offers a faster, safer solution. This FDA-cleared, evidence-based device uses gastric pH testing to confirm placement at the bedside—without relying on radiology or outdated methods like auscultation.

pH-based verification is already the standard of care in the UK, and it’s rapidly gaining momentum in the U.S. for a reason: it works. Studies have shown that up to 56% of blindly placed NG tubes intended for the stomach do not actually reach it—and misplacement is especially dangerous in neonatal patients, whose stomachs and lungs are in close proximity (Quandt, J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr, 2009).

Developed by physicians in emergency medicine and gastroenterology, the RightSpotpH® was designed to meet the real-world needs of NICU teams. It supports clinical accuracy while reducing risk for patients and saving time for staff.