[Intestinal barotrauma after diving--mechanical ileus in incarceration of the last loop of the small intestine between a mobile cecum and sigmoid].
A few hours after a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) dive at 30 meters depth, a 49 years-old man complained of diffuse abdominal pain with nausea and vomitus. A laparotomy was performed 36 hours after a conservative treatment because of persistent mechanical small bowel obstruction. The last ileal loop was strangulated between a mobile ceacum and a long sigmoid loop. The man never had previous abdominal surgery. In absence of intestinal necrosis, a caecopexy was done and there was no post-operative complications. The gas distension during the ascension following the Boyle-Mariotte law and its distribution induced in this man with a special anatomy a mechanical small bowel obstruction. The treatment of mobile caecum and the literature of abdominal barotrauma is reviewed.
Haller
C
C
Ensemble hospitalier de la Côte, Hôpital de Morges, service de chirurgie, Morges. claude.haller@chuv.hospvd.ch
Guenot
C
C
Azagury
D
D
Rosso
R
R
D001469:Barotrauma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D002432:Cecum / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D012809:Colon, Sigmoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D004242:Diving / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007077:Ileal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D007082:Ileum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D045823:Ileus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Barotraumatisme intestinal après plongée sous-marine--iléus mécanique sur incarcération de la dernière anse du grêle entre un caecum mobile et le sigmoïde.