Nj. Petrelli et al., NASOGASTRIC DECOMPRESSION FOLLOWING ELECTIVE COLORECTAL SURGERY - A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED STUDY, The American surgeon, 59(10), 1993, pp. 632-635
A prospective, randomized study was conducted to determine the need fo
r nasogastric decompression following elective colorectal surgery for
malignant and premalignant lesions. Seventy-seven consecutive patients
were randomly assigned to one of two groups: Group 1-nasogastric deco
mpression was maintained postoperatively until resumption of bowel fun
ction; Group 2-the nasogastric tube was removed in the recovery room.
Forty patients were assigned to Group 1 (21 males, 19 females) and 37
to Group 2 (22 males and 15 females). Eleven patients in Group 1 (28%)
developed nausea postoperatively, with six patients (15%) having an a
verage of less than two emeses and five (12%) requiring nasogastric re
intubation. Thirteen patients in Group 2 (35%) developed nausea, with
10 patients (27%) having an average of two emeses and three (8%) requi
ring nasogastric intubation (P = 0.80). Abdominal distention was obser
ved in 13 patients (32%) in both Group 1 (32%) and Group 2 (35%). Two
of the latter patients required nasogastric reintubation. Postoperativ
e fever was noted in 23 patients (58%) in Group 1 and 14 (38%) in Grou
p 2 (P = 0.13); atelectasis was diagnosed in 38 per cent of patients i
n Group 1 and 14 per cent in Group 2 (P = 0.03). These data support th
at nasogastric decompression is not necessary following elective color
ectal surgery for malignant and premalignant lesions.