MHRA: NGPod pH testing device withdrawn from NG tube checks
On 24 August 2026 the MHRA issued Device Safety Information (DSI/2026/009) telling UK healthcare professionals to stop using, quarantine and dispose of all NGPod handheld devices and sensors, which were used to test pH when checking nasogastric (NG) tube position.
What's new
The NGPod is an electronic reader that tests the pH of aspirate from an NG tube. The MHRA says the immediate reason for withdrawal is that the manufacturer stopped trading in the UK on 20 July 2026 and can no longer support the device, so continued use without manufacturer oversight carries a risk of harm.
The notice also gives the background. In January 2026 the MHRA received two UK incident reports in which the NGPod showed a "green" result (pH below 5.5, suggesting the stomach) when the tube was in fact in the lung. One patient died. The MHRA says several factors probably contributed and that it cannot rule out a role for the device result. A field safety corrective action followed, and the instructions for use were changed to state that the device alone does not confirm tube position and should not be used where the airway may contain acidic secretions, such as after significant aspiration of stomach contents.
Staff are told to use other pH testing methods in line with local and national guidance (CE-marked and intended for testing human gastric aspirate), to check local stocks of alternatives, and to report incidents through the Yellow Card scheme, or IRIC in Scotland.
What it means for learners
- An acidic reading supports gastric placement; it does not prove it. These incidents show that a low pH result can occur with a tube in the lung. Know when your local policy says the pH test is not enough and an X-ray is needed. The NG tube position module explains where the X-ray fits after the pH test.
- Read the film properly when one is requested. Apply all four radiographic criteria, follow the tube below the diaphragm and treat any doubt as "not confirmed". A tube in a bronchus can look surprisingly innocent at a quick glance.
- Equipment changes; the principle does not. Whatever pH method your trust uses, nothing goes down the tube until a competent person has confirmed and documented its position.
Source
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. NGPod pH testing device: quarantine and dispose of all devices (DSI/2026/009). GOV.UK, 24 August 2026. gov.uk: MHRA DSI/2026/009
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