2.4. Eligibility criteria
Coma, esophageal hiatus hernia, fracture, esophageal disorders, coma, coagulopathy, esophageal or nasopharyngeal carcinoma, nasal stenosis, upper respiratory tract anomalies
COMA, ESOPHAGEAL DISORDERS, PLATELET DISORDERS, COMA, COAGULOPATHY, ESOPHAGEAL VARICES
The study will include patients in physiological coma (score between 3 and 8 on the Glasgow Coma Scale) or induced coma (score between 5 and 6, slow response to stimuli and deep sedation, respectively), on the Ramsay scale, submitted to invasive mechanical ventilation, indication of nasoenteral tube under medical prescription, aged 18 years or older. It is noteworthy that patients who lost the nasoenteral tube due to inadvertent exit or obstruction will also be included.Exclusion criteria were: patients with coagulopathy (abnormal prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time and platelet disorders); nasal stenosis; upper respiratory tract anomalies; esophageal disorders (esophageal hiatus hernia, esophageal varices, esophageal or nasopharyngeal carcinoma); skull base fracture; teeth with mobility and history of difficult intubation. In order to verify such information, medical records were consulted before the procedure was performed.