Prevention Of Pneumothoraces With The Use Of An Electromagnetic Device During Feeding Tube Insertion
Keywords
Electromagnetic placement device; Cortrak; Pulmonary misplacement; Pneumothorax; Feeding tubes placement; Patient safety
Abstract
The purpose of this integrative review was to determine whether using the Cortrak electromagnetic placement device (EMPD) can prevent pneumothoraces during feeding tube insertion compared to blind placement at the bedside in critical care patients. A search of CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Central located 12 studies (2019-2025). Five studies that described the presence or absence of feeding tube insertion into the respiratory tract were used in the final analysis. The overall incidence of recognized respiratory tract misplacement during feeding tube insertion procedures was 278/3,297 (8.4%). Trained clinicians detected early tube deviations into the respiratory tract and corrected them before complications developed. All feeding tube misplacements were detected and corrected in real-time, and no undetected pulmonary insertions were reported. These findings demonstrate that the Cortrak EMPD is effective in preventing pneumothoraces during the feeding tube insertion process, as evidenced by the absence of unrecognized pulmonary misplacements and other complications in the analyzed studies. As well as its ability to provide real-time visualization of the feeding tube insertion tracing, EMPDs allow for the immediate identification of deviation into the respiratory tract when used by trained clinicians. Although inconsistent reporting among the studies may lead to the reported number of recognized pulmonary insertions being underreported, this highlights the need for continued research and standardization of reporting techniques to ensure consistent use of EMPDs and to further improve patient safety at the bedside.
Thesis Completion Year
2025
Thesis Completion Semester
Fall
Thesis Chair
Bourgault, Annette
College
College of Nursing
Department
Nursing
Thesis Discipline
Nursing
Language
English
Access Status
Campus Access
Length of Campus Access
1 year
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Zapatier Maya, Sofia V., "Prevention Of Pneumothoraces With The Use Of An Electromagnetic Device During Feeding Tube Insertion" (2025). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 401.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/401
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