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Ultrasound could replace X-Rays for feeding tube checks in ICU kids

NCT ID NCT04612348

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Joseph D. Tobias Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 21, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether a bedside ultrasound can reliably show that the stomach is empty in critically ill children who are fed through a tube. The goal is to lower the risk of stomach contents backing up into the lungs (aspiration) and to reduce how often feedings must be stopped before procedures. Researchers compare children fed into the stomach versus the small intestine, using ultrasound instead of X-rays to check tube placement.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
point-of-care gastric ultrasound
What this could lead to
If successful, this approach could allow critically ill children to receive nutrition for longer before procedures and reduce the need for X-rays to confirm feeding tube placement.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with only 45 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. Ultrasound accuracy can vary by operator.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

45 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Feb 2021

Finished

Mar 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Critically ill children at Nationwide Children's Hospital

Ages

Up to 18 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * all PICU patients intubated \< 7 days that are receiving NJ or NG feeds Exclusion Criteria: * patients that cannot be moved * patients with significant GI conditions affecting motility * patients intubated for more than seven days

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Critical Illness

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Critical illness

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Nationwide Children's Hospital

    Columbus, Ohio, 43205, United States

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