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In critical illness the regulation of inflammation and oxidative stress can improve patient outcomes, and thus omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been used as part of parenteral nutrition (PN) owing to their potential anti-inflammatory effects. The international lipids in PN Summit, encompassed discussions and the production of consensus guidelines concerning PN intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) use in critical care. The Lipid Summit participants agreed that the inclusion of fish oil in ILEs is associated with meaningful clinical benefits without signals of harm, based on a strong biological rationale and current clinical evidence. Decisions concerning ILE choice should be made based on current evidence, thus addressing clinical requirements for guidance, particularly as further definitive evidence seems unlikely to occur. In addition, a future of individualized ICU care is envisioned, yielding better clinical outcomes. This approach will require the greater use of intelligent study designs incorporating the use of biomarkers of omega-3 derivatives, inflammatory-resolving processes, and/or muscle protein breakdown., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Correct surgical technique and perioperative care are two factors that can reduce the number of complications, improve treatment outcomes and shorten the length of hospital stay. The introduction of enhanced recovery protocols has changed the approach to patient care in some centers. However, there are significant differences among centers, and in some the standard of care has remained unchanged., Aim: the goal of the panel was to develop recommendations for modern perioperative care in accordance with current medical knowledge in order to reduce the number of complications associated with surgical treatment. An additional goal was to optimize and standardize perioperative care among Polish centers., Materials and Methods: the development of these recommendations was based on a review of the available literature from the PubMed, Medline and Cochrane Library databases from January 1, 1985 to March 31, 2022, with particular emphasis on systematic reviews and clinical recommendations of recognized scientific societies. Recommendations were formulated in a directive form and were assessed using the Delphi method., Results and Conclusions: 34 recommendations for perioperative care were presented. They cover aspects of pre-, intra- and post-operative care. Implementation of the presented rules allows to improve the results of surgical treatment.

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is the most commonly used access for long-term enteral nutrition. Only a few studies report the prevalence and epidemiology of PEG placements. No previous data concentrated on the healthcare system issues influencing the qualification rates and professional nutritional support for individuals with PEG., Methods: We conducted a retrospective nationwide analysis of PEG placements in Poland from 2010 to 2020. The central data on ICD-10 coding of adult patients with PEG reported to the insurance company were used for the analysis of general and regional prevalence, age, and primary and secondary diseases. Rates of patients with home enteral nutrition (HEN) were calculated with a special focus on patients with cancer. A secondary aim was to determine the causes of regional disparities among administrative regions., Results: A total number of 90,182 PEGs were placed during the observation period. The number was increasing each year with statistical significance. Malnutrition, dysphagia, and cardiorespiratory/metabolic diseases were the most frequently reported primary diseases. A total of 11.98% of all patients were diagnosed with cancer; 49.9% of oncological patients suffered from head and neck cancer (HNC) and 19.9% from esophageal cancer. In total, 6.61% of HNC and 27.46% of patients with esophageal cancer from the Polish National Cancer Registry (NCR) had PEG. The rates of patients in more advanced ages (65-74 and over 85 years) were growing and decreased in younger groups (18-24, 45-54, and 55-64 years). Overall, 27.6% of all (11.86% of cancer) patients with PEG were reimbursed HEN. A high number of patients in nursing care facilities, lower education of citizens, and lower number of hospital beds were associated with more PEG insertions in the administrative regions., Conclusion: The number of PEG placements has been increasing, particularly in the elderly. Systemic solutions must be found to address the problems of regional disparities in PEG's prevalence as well as the lack of inclusion criteria for nutritional support., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Folwarski, Klek, Brzeziński, Szlagatys-Sidorkiewicz, Wyszomirski, Meyer-Szary and Skonieczna-Żydecka.)

Background: Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) is a common diabetes treatment modality. Glycemic outcomes of patients using CSII in the first 24 hours of hospitalization have not been well studied. This timeframe is of particular importance because insulin pump settings are programmed to achieve tight outpatient glycemic targets which could result in hypoglycemia when patients are hospitalized., Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated 216 hospitalized adult patients using CSII and 216 age-matched controls treated with multiple daily injections (MDI) of insulin. Patients using CSII did not make changes to pump settings in the first 24 hours of admission. Blood glucose (BG) values within the first 24 hours of admission were collected. The primary outcome was frequency of hypoglycemia (BG < 70 mg/dL). Secondary outcomes were frequency of severe hypoglycemia (BG < 40 mg/dL) and hyperglycemia (BG ≥ 180 mg/dL)., Results: There were significantly fewer events of hypoglycemia [incident rate ratio (IRR) 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.42-0.88, p  = 0.007] and hyperglycemia (IRR 0.79, 95% CI 0.65-0.96, p  = 0.02) in the CSII group compared to the MDI group. There was a trend toward fewer events of severe hypoglycemia in the CSII group (IRR 0.15, 95% CI 0.02-0.93, p  = 0.06)., Conclusions: Patients using CSII experienced fewer events of both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia in the first 24 hours of hospital admission than those treated with MDI. Our study demonstrates that CSII use is safe and effective for the treatment of diabetes within the first 24 hours of hospital admission.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive skin cancer with a high risk of recurrence and poor prognosis. The treatment of locally advanced disease involves surgery and radiotherapy. To analyze real-life treatment patterns and clinical outcomes, we conducted a retrospective analysis of data from 161 MCC patients treated with curative intent in four oncological centers in Poland. The median age at diagnosis was 72 years (30-94); 49.7% were male. Lymph node (LN) involvement at diagnosis was found in 26.9% of patients. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was performed in 36.5% of patients (positive in 10.5%), and 51.9% of patients received perioperative treatment. The relapse rate was 38.3%. With the median follow-up of 2.3 years, the median disease-free survival (DFS) was not reached, and the 1-year rate was 65%. The negative independent risk factors for DFS were male gender, metastases in LN at diagnosis, no SLNB in patients without clinical nodal metastases, and no perioperative radiotherapy. The estimated median overall survival (OS) was 6.9 years (95% CI 4.64-9.15). The negative independent risk factors for OS were male gender, age above 70, metastases in LN at diagnosis, and no SLNB in patients without clinical nodal metastases. Our results confirm that the MCC treatment should be conducted in an experienced multidisciplinary team; however, the outcomes are still unsatisfactory.

We would like to thank you for the opportunity to respond to the issues raised in Dr Lauro's and Ropoli's letter, to clarify aspects of our methodology in relation to these concerns [...].

Background and Aims: An enterocutaneous fistula (ECF) poses a major surgical problem. The definitive surgical repair of persistent fistulas remains a surgical challenge with a high rate of re-fistulation and mortality, and the reasons for that is not the surgical technique alone. Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS ® ) is an evidence-based multimodal perioperative protocol proven to reduce postoperative complications. The aim of the study was to assess the clinical value of the ERAS protocol in surgical patients with ECF., Methods: ERAS protocol was used in all patients scheduled for surgery for ECF at the Stanley Dudrick's Memorial Hospital in Skawina between 2011 and 2020. A multidisciplinary team (MDT) was in charge of the program and performed annual audits. A consecutive series of 100 ECF patients (44 females, 56 males, mean age 54.1 years) were evaluated. Postoperative complications rate, readmission rate, length of hospital stay, prevalence of postoperative nausea and vomiting were assessed. Registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier no. NCT04771832., Results: ERAS protocol was successfully introduced for ECF surgeries; however, eight modifications to the ERAS program was performed in 2015. They led to improvement of surgical outcomes: reduction of postoperative nausea and vomiting (15 vs. 17% patients, p = 0.025), overall complication rate (11 vs. 10, p = 0.021), median length of hospital stay (overall and after surgery, p = 0.022 and 0.002, respectively)., Conclusions: ERAS protocol can be successfully used for ECF patients. Prescheduled audits can contribute to the improvement of care.

Background: Omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acid (FA)-containing parenteral nutrition (PN) is associated with significant improvements in patient outcomes compared with standard PN regimens without ω-3 FA lipid emulsions. Here, we evaluate the impact of ω-3 FA-containing PN versus standard PN on clinical outcomes and costs in adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients using a meta-analysis and subsequent cost-effectiveness analysis from the perspective of a hospital operating in five European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK) and the US., Methods: We present a pharmacoeconomic simulation based on a systematic literature review with meta-analysis. Clinical outcomes and costs comparing ω-3 FA-containing PN with standard PN were evaluated in adult ICU patients eligible to receive PN covering at least 70% of their total energy requirements and in the subgroup of critically ill ICU patients (mean ICU stay > 48 h). The meta-analysis with the co-primary outcomes of infection rate and mortality rate was based on randomized controlled trial data retrieved via a systematic literature review; resulting efficacy data were subsequently employed in country-specific cost-effectiveness analyses., Results: In adult ICU patients, ω-3 FA-containing PN versus standard PN was associated with significant reductions in the relative risk (RR) of infection (RR 0.62; 95% CI 0.45, 0.86; p = 0.004), hospital length of stay (HLOS) (- 3.05 days; 95% CI - 5.03, - 1.07; p = 0.003) and ICU length of stay (LOS) (- 1.89 days; 95% CI - 3.33, - 0.45; p = 0.01). In critically ill ICU patients, ω-3 FA-containing PN was associated with similar reductions in infection rates (RR 0.65; 95% CI 0.46, 0.94; p = 0.02), HLOS (- 3.98 days; 95% CI - 6.90, - 1.06; p = 0.008) and ICU LOS (- 2.14 days; 95% CI - 3.89, - 0.40; p = 0.02). Overall hospital episode costs were reduced in all six countries using ω-3 FA-containing PN compared to standard PN, ranging from €-3156 ± 1404 in Spain to €-9586 ± 4157 in the US., Conclusion: These analyses demonstrate that ω-3 FA-containing PN is associated with statistically and clinically significant improvement in patient outcomes. Its use is also predicted to yield cost savings compared to standard PN, rendering ω-3 FA-containing PN an attractive cost-saving alternative across different health care systems., Study Registration: PROSPERO CRD42019129311.

Aim: Patients on parenteral nutrition (PN) are prone to inflammation. This may aggravate an existing proinflammatory state and become a critical factor in the development of liver dysfunction (LD). Intravenous fish oil may attenuate this inflammatory state, but data on its use in adults are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of adding a pure fish oil intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) into short- and long-term PN in patients either at risk of, or with existing, inflammation., Methods: A retrospective analysis of 61 patients (32 female, 29 male, mean age 51.5 ± 12.6 years) who received all-in-one PN, including amino acids, glucose, and lipids supplemented with pure fish oil ILE, was performed. Pure fish oil ILE (Omegaven®, Fresenius Kabi, Bad Homburg, Germany) was used along with the standard ILE to reach a fish oil dose of 0.4-0.5 g fish oil/kg/d. Diagnoses were chronic intestinal failure (CIF, n = 20), Crohn's disease (CD, n = 22), and ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 19). The observation period was 12 months for CIF and 21 days for UC and CD., Results: A reduction in inflammation was noticeable in all patients and became statistically significant in CD (hsCRP p < 0.0001, ESR p = 0.0034, procalcitonin p = 0.0014, Il-6 p = 0.001) and UC groups (hsCRP and ESR p < 0.0001, Il-6 p = 0.0001, TNF-α p = 0.0113). In the CIF group, the total bilirubin concentration ( p = 0.2157) and aspartate transaminase SGOT ( p = 0.1785) did not vary over time., Conclusions: PN with pure fish oil ILE reduces some inflammatory parameters in IBD and maintains liver function parameters in CIF patients. Fish oil might become a valuable ingredient in both short- and long-term PN in patients at risk of liver dysfunction.

Background: The clinical impact of addressing potential germline alterations from tumor-only next-generation sequencing (NGS) is not well characterized. Current guidelines for cancer genetic testing may miss clinically actionable germline changes, which may have important implications for cancer screening, treatment, and prevention. We examined whether increasing involvement of the clinical genetics service during somatic tumor-only NGS review at Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) increases the detection of germline findings., Methods: In a retrospective evaluation of patients who underwent tumor-only NGS and were reviewed at MTB, we quantified genetic counseling (GC) referrals as well as germline testing uptake and results across three cohorts: before (C1) and after (C2) the addition of tumor-only NGS review and after (C3) instituting a formal process to coordinate NGS-based genetics referrals to preexisting oncology appointments. All statistical tests were two-sided., Results: From 2013 to 2017, 907 tumor-only NGS reports were reviewed at MTB (n C1 = 281, n C2 = 493, n C3 = 133); gastrointestinal (22.5%), lung (19.7%), genitourinary (14.8%), and breast (14.1%) were the most common index cancers. GC visits due to MTB increased with each successive cohort (C1 = 1.1%, C2 = 6.9%, C3 = 13.5%; P for trend [ P trend ] < .001), as did germline testing (C1 = 0.7%, C2 = 3.2%, C3 = 11.3%; P trend < .001). Diagnosis of germline pathogenic variants increased with each successive cohort (C1 = 1.4%, C2 = 2.0%, C3 = 7.5%; P trend = .003) and with germline pathogenic variants found by MTB review (C1 = 0.4%, C2 = 0.4%, C3 = 2.3%; P trend = .12)., Conclusions: Both review of tumor-only NGS by genetics and the institution of a process coordinating GC with oncology appointments increased the discovery of germline pathogenic variants from tumor-only NGS testing. Furthermore, this process identified germline pathogenic variant carriers who would not have otherwise met standard criteria for germline testing., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Background: Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is a life-preserving therapy for patients with chronic intestinal failure (CIF) indicated for patients who cannot achieve their nutritional requirements by enteral intake. Intravenously administered lipid emulsions (ILEs) are an essential component of HPN, providing energy and essential fatty acids, but can become a risk factor for intestinal-failure-associated liver disease (IFALD). In HPN patients, major effort is taken in the prevention of IFALD. Novel ILEs containing a proportion of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) could be of benefit, but the data on the use of n-3 PUFA in HPN patients are still limited., Methods/design: The HOME study is a prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicenter, international clinical trial conducted in European hospitals that treat HPN patients. A total of 160 patients (80 per group) will be randomly assigned to receive the n-3 PUFA-enriched medium/long-chain triglyceride (MCT/LCT) ILE (Lipidem/Lipoplus® 200 mg/ml, B. Braun Melsungen AG) or the MCT/LCT ILE (Lipofundin® MCT/LCT/Medialipide® 20%, B. Braun Melsungen AG) for a projected period of 8 weeks. The primary endpoint is the combined change of liver function parameters (total bilirubin, aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase) from baseline to final visit. Secondary objectives are the further evaluation of the safety and tolerability as well as the efficacy of the ILEs., Discussion: Currently, there are only very few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the use of ILEs in HPN, and there are very few data at all on the use of n-3 PUFAs. The working hypothesis is that n-3 PUFA-enriched ILE is safe and well-tolerated especially with regard to liver function in patients requiring HPN. The expected outcome is to provide reliable data to support this thesis thanks to a considerable number of CIF patients, consequently to broaden the present evidence on the use of ILEs in HPN., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT03282955. Registered on 14 September 2017.

In chronic kidney disease (CKD), the design of the parenteral nutrition (PN) regimen becomes more challenging where only individualized PN is appropriate, coupled with the increased risk of unintended interactions with diuretic therapy. In an effort to ensure safe therapy in the home, we assessed the physical stability of bespoke PN formulations intended for use in CKD in the simultaneous presence of Y-site compatibility of furosemide and torasemide. The patient's daily needs were determined based on both metabolic demands as well as the demand for fluids.Complete admixtures were subjected to physical stability analysis consisting of visual inspection, a validated light microscope method, pH measurement, zeta potential measurement, and characterization of oily globule size distribution. Y-site compatibility of furosemide and torasemide with the formulated admixtures was also performed.The total parenteral admixture was stable over 7 days at +4°C and 24 h at +25°C and compatible via the Y-line together with furosemide and torasemide over 12 h at +25°C.The stability assessment guarantees the safety and efficiency of home PN with loop diuretics therapy in CKD patients. This means that these patients do not need long hospitalization and they can be safely treated at home. Furthermore, this study proved that torasemide is the same safety diuretic as furosemide, which has a great impact on clinical practice.

Background and Objectives: Protein-energy and micronutrient malnutrition are global public health problems which, when not prevented and severe, require medical management by clinicians with nutrition expertise, preferably as a collectively skilled team, especially when disease-related. This study aimed to investigate barriers and facilitators of clinical nutrition services (CNS), especially the use of oral, enteral (EN) and parenteral (PN) nutrition in institutional and home settings., Methods and Study Design: An international survey was performed between January and December 2014 in twenty-six countries from all continents. Electronic questionnaires were distributed to 28 representatives of clinical nutrition (PEN) societies, 27 of whom responded. The questionnaire comprised questions regarding a country's economy, reimbursement for CNS, education about and the use of EN and PN., Results: The prevalence of malnutrition was not related to gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita (p=0.186). EN and PN were used in all countries surveyed (100%), but to different extents. Reimbursement of neither EN nor PN use depended on GDP, but was associated with increased use of EN and PN in hospitals (p=0.035), although not evident for home or chronic care facilities. The size of GDP did not affect the use of EN (p=0.256), but it mattered for PN (p=0.019)., Conclusions: A worldwide survey by nutrition support societies did not find a link between national economic performance and the implementation of medical nutrition services. Reimbursement for CNS, available through health insurance systems, is a factor in effective nutrition management.

Intravenous lipid emulsions are an essential component of parenteral nutrition regimens. Originally employed as an efficient non-glucose energy source to reduce the adverse effects of high glucose intake and provide essential fatty acids, lipid emulsions have assumed a larger therapeutic role due to research demonstrating the effects of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on key metabolic functions, including inflammatory and immune response, coagulation, and cell signaling. Indeed, emerging evidence suggests that the effects of omega-3 PUFA on inflammation and immune response result in meaningful therapeutic benefits in surgical, cancer, and critically ill patients as well as patients requiring long-term parenteral nutrition. The present review provides an overview of the mechanisms of action through which omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA modulate the immune-inflammatory response and summarizes the current body of evidence regarding the clinical and pharmacoeconomic benefits of intravenous n-3 fatty acid-containing lipid emulsions in patients requiring parenteral nutrition.

Background: home enteral nutrition (HEN) is the best option for chronic. patients without the ability to swallow, but with intact digestive tract. Despite the increasing use of home enteral tube feeding (HETF), there is little published information about the types of patients receiving home enteral nutrition. The purpose of this paper to present the evolution of HETF., Material and Methods: the retrospective multicenter observational study was performed using questionnaires, which were distributed among the biggest Polish HEN centres. The study covered all patients treated between January, 2007 and January, 2014., Results: in total 196 adult patients in 2008 (M:104. F: 92, mean age 58.1 [41-75]) and 2842 in 2013 (M: 1541, F: 1301, mean age 61.4 range: 1-91) were assessed. The number of patients grew significantly between 2008 and 2013 (p < 0.05), rising from 196 up to 2 842 (and 1 716 at the moment of study). The predominant primary disease was neurology in both time periods, but the profile switched from neurovascular to neurodegenerative (p > 0.05). Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy was the most common GI access ( > 60%), its use and the use of gastrostomies increased significantly since 2008 (p < 0.05). Although the reimbursement for HETF started in 2007, HEN centres expressed doubts about unclear rules for the qualification to HEN and its use., Conclusions: HETF is a safe, well-tolerated and cost-effective procedure. The profile of patients and techniques may vary at the beginning, but becomes similar to other HETF countries relatively soon. The number of patients grows quickly, and that fact suggests that the prevalence of HETF is similar in all countries., (Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.)

Background: Home enteral nutrition (HEN) has always been recognized as a life-saving procedure, but with the ongoing economic crisis influencing health care, its cost-effectiveness has been questioned recently., Objective: The unique reimbursement situation in Poland enabled the otherwise ethically unacceptable, hence unavailable, comparison of the period of no-feeding and long-term feeding and the subsequent analyses of the clinical value of the latter and its cost-effectiveness., Design: The observational multicenter study in the group of 456 HEN patients [142 children: 55 girls and 87 boys, mean (±SD) age 8.7 ± 5.9 y; 314 adults: 151 women and 163 men, mean age 59.3 ± 19.8 y] was performed between January 2007 and July 2013. Two 12-mo periods were compared. During the first period, patients were tube fed a homemade diet and were not monitored; during the other period, patients received HEN. HEN included tube feeding and complex monitoring by a nutrition support team. The number of complications, hospital admissions, length of hospital stay, biochemical and anthropometric variables, and costs of hospitalization were compared., Results: Implementation of HEN enabled weight gain and stabilized liver function in both age groups, but it hardly influenced the other tests. HEN implementation reduced the incidence of infectious complications (37.4% compared with 14.9%; P < 0.001, McNemar test), the number of hospital admissions [1.98 ± 2.42 (mean ± SD) before and 1.26 ± 2.18 after EN; P < 0.001, Wilcoxon's signed-rank test], and length of hospital stay (39.7 ± 71.9 compared with 11.9 ± 28.5 d; P < 0.001, Wilcoxon's signed-rank test). The mean annual costs ($) of hospitalization were reduced from 6500.20 ± 10,402.69 to 2072.58 ± 5497.00., Conclusions: The study showed that HEN improves clinical outcomes and decreases health care costs. It was impossible, however, to determine precisely which factor mattered more: the artificial diet itself or the introduction of complex care., (© 2014 American Society for Nutrition.)

Introduction: Pediatric parenteral nutrition enables normal growth even of preterm infants. Those children require, however, tailored parenteral nutrition and the creation of such can be challenging due to the risk of instability and shortages., Objective: Prototypical parenteral admixtures were created using different calcium salts (organic and inorganic) and different lipid emulsions and tested for stability. 36 of parenteral admixtures containing two types of calcium salts: chloride or gluconolactobionate and different lipid emulsions (SMOFlipid® or Lipofundin MCT/LCT®) were under investigation., Methods: Preliminary admixtures were prepared in two-chamber bags whereas lipid emulsions were placed separately in the second chamber. Pre-admixtures were stored for up to 21 days at +4ºC. Contents of the two chambers were combined at t = 0 or after 21 days of storage. Physical analysis of completed admixtures (visual inspection, microscopic observation, pH measurement and determination of the size distribution of oily droplets) was carried out after 21 days of the storage. Stability of lipid, commercial emulsions stored in ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) bags for 42 days was also studied., Results: Irrespectively of the time of storage of preadmixtures and type of calcium salt and different lipid emulsions among 36 total parenteral admixtures only one showed signs of destabilization after preparation and one was unstable when stored for longer than 14 days. All other formulations were qualified to be stable during the study. All investigated commercial lipid emulsions were physically stable in EVA bags even when stored at room temperature., Conclusion: The study proved that it was possible to store pre-admixture in EVA bags for 21 days at 4°C as well as that CAN (critical aggregation number) and CaxP (the products of multiplication of calcium and phosphate ions concentration) should not be used as reliable indicators of admixture physical stability. No influence of the type of calcium salts on stability of admixtures was observed., (Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.)

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a widely used method for tube feeding with enteral nutrition. Both PEG's insertion and PEG's removal are usually easy and uncomplicated. The latter can be, however, of substantial difficulty in children with distorted anatomy, such as pharyngeal stenosis or endured craniofacial trauma, when regular endoscopy is contraindicated. The aim of the study was to assess the very simple, but rarely used method for percutaneous removal of the tube by pulling the thread. Four children (4 males, mean age 4.1 year) were analyzed. In all of them the procedure was successful, quick and uncomplicated. To conclude, the thread method should be recommend in case the endoscopic removal is impossible., (Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.)