Percutaneous decompression of the bowel with a small-caliber needle: a method to facilitate percutaneous abdominal access.
OBJECTIVE
In our pediatric interventional practice, we have found that occasionally a loop of bowel is interposed between the stomach and the anterior wall of the abdomen, preventing safe needle access for procedures such as placement of a gastrostomy tube. The use of a small-caliber needle to aspirate air from the colon or small bowel, for bowel decompression, may be a safe way to aid in establishing a safe access route for the subsequent percutaneous introduction of larger needles or tubes.


CONCLUSIONS
Our retrospective review of patients who have undergone bowel-gas aspiration during an interventional procedure shows that the aspiration of air from the colon with a small-caliber needle is technically easy and may permit completion of an abdominal procedure.
Wiebe
Sheldon
S
Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, 555 University Ave., Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.
Cohen
Justine
J
Connolly
Bairbre
B
Chait
Peter
P
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003106:Colon; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D005774:Gastrostomy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles; D015641:Radiography, Interventional