I wanted to respond to the article by Bryant et al, titled “Verifying Placement of Small-Bore Feeding Tubes: Electromagnetic Device Images Versus Abdominal Radiography.”1 

Although the authors’ conclusions did not support eliminating radiographs to confirm correct tube placement following use of an electromagnetic tube placement device (EMPD), there are some major concerns with this study that need to be highlighted.

First, training and competency are absolutely essential before a clinician uses any medical device. This holds true for any piece of equipment including the EMPD for feeding tube placement.

The authors focused on the perceived inaccuracy of the EMPD. However, a focus and concern should be on inadequate nurse training and allowing clinicians without demonstrated competence to use a piece of equipment. With the EMPD, it is essential to include not only competency for tube placement, but also interpretation of the tracings.

In this study, nurse training was probably...

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