Title
Nasogastric tube impaction with metal-like stiffening requiring endoscopic retrieval: Rare long-term complication with suspected drug association
Authors
Rohith Kunnath1,*, Satheesh A Vasudevan1, Muhammad Shebin2, Tess Shajan3 & Vidhu Victor3
Affiliation
1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, PK Das Institute of Medical Sciences, Palakkad, Kerala, India; 2Department of General medicine, Dr. Moopen's Medical college, Wayanad, Kerala, India; 3Department of Medicine, PK Das Institute of Medical Sciences, Palakkad, Kerala, India; *Corresponding author
Rohith Kunnath - E-mail: rohithrkm849@gmail.com
Satheesh A Vasudevan - E-mail: satheeshgastro@gmail.com
Muhammad Shebin - E-mail: muhammadshebin5544@gmail.com
Tess Shajan - E-mail: thondiyiltess@gmail.com
Vidhu Victor - E-mail: vidhuvictor55789@gmail.com
Article Type
Views
Date
Received September 1, 2025; Revised September 30, 2025; Accepted September 30, 2025, Published September 30, 2025
Abstract
Nasogastric (Ryle’s) tubes are widely used for enteral feeding but may rarely cause complications like stiffening, degradation, and impaction. We report a case of tube impaction in a 67-year-old female with multiple comorbidities on prolonged levetiracetam therapy. Endoscopic removal revealed the tube to be unusually rigid and structurally altered. Two similar cases with long-term levetiracetam use suggest a possible association with tube degradation. Thus, we show the importance of timely tube replacement and the need for research on drug–material interactions.
Keywords
Ryle's tube/ Nasogastric tube impaction, PVC degradation, levetiracetam, endoscopic removal, gastric reaction
Citation
Kunnath et al. Bioinformation 21(9): 3211-3213 (2025)
Edited by
A Prashanth
ISSN
0973-2063
Publisher
License
This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
