A more recent prospective prevalence study estimated the frequency of nasogastric tube removal at 28.9% (Mion et al., 2007). In many instances, this can be attributed to failure of securing the nasogastric tube. The limited success of these methods is most often due to facial hair, secretions, perspiration and oily skin, leading to poor adherence of adhesive devices. Such dislodgements interrupt enteral feeding until new access can be obtained and invariably lead to decreased
caloric intake. Replacement of dislodged tubes adds cost to patient care and contributes to lost clinician productivity.