Confirmation of the placement of the nasogastric tube is essential to ensure safe feeding without the risk of aspiration, pneumonia, and pneumothorax that may occur due to incorrect placement of the nasogastric tube. The risk of incorrect placement of the nasogastric tube may increase in the high-risk patient group, especially with some factors such as decreased consciousness, weak gag reflex, intubation, mechanical ventilation, and sedation. In addition to the problems that may occur during the initial placement of the nasogastric tube, displacement of the nasogastric tube may occur during the enteral feeding process. For this reason, tube placement should be checked regularly in order to minimize the complications of enteral nutrition. Although there are some advantages and limitations of the methods used to determine the location of the nasogastric tube, it is seen that there is no standard practice on this subject in clinics. The aim of this review is to summarize the commonly used methods for the initial placement of the nasogastric tube and the confirmation of the tube position during the feeding process and to summarize the advantages and limitations of these methods.

Keywords: Enteral nutrition, nasogastric tube, nursing, evidence-based practice