Abstract
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes are now a well established method
of enteral feeding. With the introduction of nurse endoscopists it has been possible
to site PEG tubes with only one member of medical staff being present. Furthermore
transillumination of the stomach is considered by many to be essential prior to gastric
puncture. We present a series of 62 consecutive PEG tube sitings performed by the
same nurse endoscopist/doctor team without transillumination of the stomach prior
to gastric puncture. Sixty of the 62 patients (97 %) had successful PEG tube insertion.
There were no immediate complications. There were two failures, neither of which related
to the technique. It is concluded that failure of transillumination is not an absolute
contraindication to PEG tube insertion.
