Who should place an NGT if a patient is being transferred to the OR and requires enteral access?

• A. Anesthesia staff or the surgeon after the patient is under sedation
• B. Radiology technologist
• C. Any nurse on the floor
• D. Gastroenterologist

Answer: (A)

Placing an enteral access device in a patient who is being transferred to the OR and will be under anesthesia should be done by the team responsible for airway management and perioperative care. Anesthesia staff or the surgeon are best positioned because they control the airway, maintain ventilation, and can place the tube in a controlled, sterile environment while the patient is sedated. This reduces the risk of aspiration and dislodgement and allows immediate confirmation of tube placement using the perioperative workflow. Radiology technologists are typically involved when imaging guidance is needed, but during an impending OR transfer, the placement is most safely accomplished by the anesthesia/surgical team. A nurse on the floor may assist, but placing the tube in this setting is not their sole responsibility, and a GI specialist would usually place an enteric tube in the context of endoscopy or specialized GI procedures rather than routine perioperative access.