A feeding tube helps prevent a person from gagging while eating or drinking. But it does not prevent bacteria-laden saliva and nasal secretions from getting into the lungs and causing infection.

As the patient was admitted to the hospital overnight, he realized it was also a cost issue. Tropello created a way to insert the feeding tube that wouldn’t have to be done in an operating room, and ...

The other issue is time. Nutrition must be delivered via the feeding tube as quickly as possible, ideally within 24 to 48 hours. But an X-ray might need to be performed two to four times to determine ...

With help from La Rabida Children’s Hospital, Zayne Negoski of Joliet got an alternative tube-feeding formula. But his family and those of other medically needy kids have struggled and often had ...