Adequacy of different measurement methods in determining nasogastric tube insertion lengths: An observational study.

Background: Distance from the tip of the nose to earlobe to xiphisternum is commonly used to determine the length of nasogastric tube to be inserted. However, it is not evidence-based and frequently leads to improper positioning.

Objectives: This study evaluated four formulae and the distance from the tip of the nose to earlobe to xiphisternum in estimating the internal length of nasogastric tube required for optimal positioning.