Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26542798›Full record

ArticleBMC palliative care2015

Palliative enteral feeding for patients with malignant esophageal obstruction: a retrospective study.

C W Yang, H H Lin, T Y Hsieh, W K Chang

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC palliative care, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The effects of enteral tube feeding on nutrition, survival, and quality of life outcomes in advanced upper gastrointestinal cancers: a systematic literature review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Is Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy A Solution for Aspiration Pneumonia, or Just An Illusion?The Turkish journal of gastroenterology : the official journal of Turkish Society of Gastroenterology · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

C W YangDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No 325, Section 2, Cheng-Kung Road, Neihu 11490, Taipei, Taiwan. youngwayleon@gmail.com.
H H LinDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No 325, Section 2, Cheng-Kung Road, Neihu 11490, Taipei, Taiwan. redstone120@yahoo.com.tw.
T Y HsiehDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No 325, Section 2, Cheng-Kung Road, Neihu 11490, Taipei, Taiwan. TYH1216@MS46.HINET.NET.
W K ChangDivision of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No 325, Section 2, Cheng-Kung Road, Neihu 11490, Taipei, Taiwan. weikuohome@hotmail.com.
National Defense Medical Center · TW

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMalignant esophageal obstruction leads to dysphagia, deterioration in quality of life, and malnutrition. Traditional bedside nasogastric (NG) tube placement is very difficult under these circumstances. However, endoscopically assisted NG tube placement under fluoroscopic guidance could be an alternative option for establishing palliative enteral nutrition. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of enteral tube feeding and esophageal stenting for patients with malignant esophageal obstruction and a short life expectancy.

methodsThirty-one patients were divided into 3 groups according to their treatment modality: NG tube (n = 12), esophageal stent group (n = 10), and supportive care with nil per os (NPO) (n = 9). Enteral nutrition, clinical outcomes, length of hospital stay, and median survival were evaluated.

resultsThere were no significant baseline differences among the groups, except in age. The tube and stent groups had significantly higher enteral calorie intake (p = 0.01), higher serum albumin (p < 0.01), shorter hospital stay (p = 0.01), and longer median survival (p < 0.01) than the NPO group. The incidence of dislodgement in the tube group was significantly higher than in the stent group (58% vs. 20%, respectively; p = 0.01). However, stenting costs more than NG tube placement.

conclusionsPalliative enteral feeding by NG tube is safe, inexpensive, and has a low complication rate. Endoscopically assisted NG tube placement under fluoroscopic guidance could be a feasible palliative option for malignant esophageal obstruction for patients who have a short life expectancy.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overEndoscopyEnteral NutritionEsophageal NeoplasmsHumansIntubation, GastrointestinalMiddle AgedPalliative CareRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID26542798
PMCPMC4635529
OpenAlexW2141996852

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.