American journal of surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A prospective, randomized trial of short versus long tubes in adhesive small-bowel obstruction.
Many cases of acute adhesive small-bowel obstruction (SBO) can be successfully treated with intestinal tube decompression. There is considerable controversy, however, regarding whether a short nasogastric tube (NGT) or a long nasointestinal tube (LT) is the best method of intestinal tube decompression. ⋯ Patients with adhesive SBO can safely be given a trial of tube decompression upon hospital admission. There was no advantage of one type of tube over the other in patients with adhesive SBO.