Outcomes of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy in Hospitalized Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Turkey

BACKGROUND / OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis characterizing patients receiving tube feeding following percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy ( PEG) tube placement between 2004 and 2012 at Erciyes University Hospital in Turkey. METHODS: Patients above the age of 18 years, who required long term enteral tube feeding were studied. All PEGs were performed using the pull-through technique by one experienced endoscopist Demographic, clinical outcomes, and PEG-related complication data were collected. RESULTS: Of the 128 subjects studied, 91 were male (71%) and 37 were female (29%). The mean age of this patient population was 54±19 years. The most common reason for PEG tube insertion was inability to consume oral diet due to complications of cerebrovascular disease (CVD; 27%), while cerebral hypoxia, occuring after non-neurological medical disorders, was the second most common indication (23%). A total of 70 patients (55%) had chronic comorbidities, with hypertension the most common (20%). The most common procedure related complication was insertion site bleeding, which occurred in 4 % of patients. Long term complications, during one year were insertion site cellulitis, gastric contents leakage, and peristomal ulceration occurred in 14%, 5%, and 0.5% of patients, respectively. There were no PEG insertion-related mortalities; one-year mortality was unrelated to the indication for PEG tube insertion. CONCLUSIONS: PEG tube insertion was a safe method to provide enteral access for nutrition support in this hospitalized patient population.