Gastric suction

Gastric lavage; Stomach pumping; Nasogastric tube suction

A tube is inserted through your nose or mouth, down the food pipe (esophagus), and into the stomach. Your throat may be numbed with medicine to reduce irritation and gagging caused by the tube.

Stomach contents can be removed using suction right away or after spraying water through the tube.

In an emergency, such as when a person has swallowed poison or is vomiting blood, no preparation is needed for gastric suction.

If gastric suction is being done for testing, your doctor may ask you not to eat overnight or to stop taking certain medicines.

You may feel a gagging sensation as the tube is passed.

This test may be done to:

• Remove poisons, harmful materials, or excess medicines from the stomach
• Clean the stomach before an upper endoscopy (EGD) if you have been vomiting blood
• Collect stomach acid
• Relieve pressure if you have a blockage in the intestines

Risks may include:

• Breathing in contents from the stomach (this is called aspiration)
• Hole (perforation) in the esophagus
• Tube may be placed into the airway instead of the esophagus
• Minor bleeding