Bedside percutaneous ultrasound gastrostomy tube placement by critical care physicians.

Critically ill patients often require gastrostomy tubes. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy has become the most common method of placement but is not widely performed by critical care physicians, in part due to their lack of familiarity and training in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Percutaneous ultrasound gastrostomy (PUG) is a novel procedure for gastrostomy tube placement that utilizes ultrasound-based methods already familiar to critical care physicians. This technical note describes bedside PUG in the first five intensive care unit patients. All patients received timely gastrostomy placement, without complication, and were able to quickly achieve goal enteral nutrition.