A recently completed diagnostic study on nasogastric tube (NGT) verification, led by Ms. Mei Yi MAK, Nurse Consultant (Community), Hong Kong East Cluster, and conducted collaboratively by the Hospital Authority (HA) and Cochrane Hong Kong, has addressed a significant practice gap. A total of 675 patients were recruited from 40 wards across four hospitals and six community sites. The study provides evidence that point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) is a reliable, real-time bedside alternative to X-ray for verifying NGT placement.

The findings and their implications were discussed at a meeting held at the Hospital Authority Head Office (HAHO) on 2 April 2026. The abstracts reporting the pilot results of this POCUS study, along with the main findings of a previously completed capnography study, were published in the special supplement of the 8th Pan-Pacific Nursing Conference cum 2nd Cochrane Hong Kong Symposium in the International Journal of Nursing Studies (Abstract 1 | Abstract 2). Both studies offer important insights to inform safe, cost-effective and time-efficient clinical practice in NGT verification.