PERCUTANEOUS ENDOSCOPIC GASTROSTOMY - REVIEW OF INDICATIONS, COMPLICATIONS AND MORTALITY-RATE

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) has been accepte d as a safe technique for long-term enteral nutrition. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the use and complication rate of PEG in Denmark. Methods: A postal questionnaire concerning activity and experience with PEG from 1991 to 1993 was sent to 119 Danish hosp ital departments (A), and own experience with PEG in the same period w as reviewed (B). Results: (A) PEG was performed by 45 of the 93 respon ding hospital departments. Six of these had reviewed their results in details and the total patient number was 243. The average seven- and 3 0-day mortality rates were 6% and 11%, with great variations depending on patient selection; the mortality rate was significantly lower on w ards where PEG was not performed on constantly bedridden patients. (B) Forty patients underwent PEG. Median age was 71 years (range 5-89). T hirty-seven patients suffered from neurological diseases; 23 cerebral stroke and seven cerebral contusion. Three patients had malignant diso rders. Six patients died within seven days, primarily from pulmonary c omplications. Five patients died eight to thirty days after the proced ure, four of them from their primary disease. The PEG was successful i n 33 patients, and nine patients reverted to oral feeding. Conclusion: In our study we found more complications and higher mortality rates t han previously reported. Immobile patients seem to be a high-risk grou p. Critical consideration of indications and risks is mandatory.