Study design and search strategy
A database search was conducted using Embase, Cochrane Library, and Medline to identify relevant studies in October 2021 (Table 1). The following keywords and subject headings were used: “heart surgery” OR “CABG” OR “surgery” AND “clinical outcomes” OR “patient-reported outcomes” OR “adverse outcomes” OR “complications” OR “postoperative complications” OR “intraoperative” AND “nasogastric tube” AND “nausea” OR “postoperative nausea” OR “nausea and vomiting” OR “postoperative nausea and vomiting” OR “pneumonia” OR “anesthesia” OR “feeding” OR “feeding apparatus” OR “decompression” in Embase, “cardiac surgery” OR “heart surgery” OR “CABG” OR “surgery” AND “outcomes” OR “complications” OR “postoperative” OR “intraoperative” AND “nasogastric tube” AND “nausea” OR “vomiting” OR “pneumonia” OR “anesthesia” OR “feeding” OR “decompression” in Cochrane Library, and [(“Thoracic surgery” OR “Coronary Artery Bypass” OR “General surgery” OR “Outcome Assessment, Health Care” OR “postoperative complications” OR “intraoperative complications”) AND (“nausea” OR “postoperative nausea and vomiting” OR “pneumonia” OR “anesthesia” OR “decompression”)] AND (“nasogastric tube” OR “intubation, Gastrointestinal”) in Medline.