Nasogastric tube syndrome induced by an indwelling long intestinal tube.
The nasogastric tube (NGT) has become a frequently used device to alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms. Nasogastric tube syndrome (NTS) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening complication of an indwelling NGT. NTS is characterized by acute upper airway obstruction due to bilateral vocal cord paralysis. We report a case of a 76-year-old man with NTS, induced by an indwelling long intestinal tube. He was admitted to our hospital for treatment of sigmoid colon cancer. He underwent sigmoidectomy to release a bowel obstruction, and had a long intestinal tube inserted to decompress the intestinal tract. He presented acute dyspnea following prolonged intestinal intubation, and bronchoscopy showed bilateral vocal cord paralysis. The NGT was removed immediately, and tracheotomy was performed. The patient was finally discharged in a fully recovered state. NTS be considered in patients complaining of acute upper airway obstruction, not only with a NGT inserted but also with a long intestinal tube.
Naoki Sano, Masayoshi Yamamoto, Kentaro Nagai, Keiichi Yamada, Department of Surgery, Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital, Ibaraki 305-8558, Japan.
Naoki
N
Sano
Naoki Sano, Masayoshi Yamamoto, Kentaro Nagai, Keiichi Yamada, Department of Surgery, Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital, Ibaraki 305-8558, Japan.
Masayoshi
M
Yamamoto
Naoki Sano, Masayoshi Yamamoto, Kentaro Nagai, Keiichi Yamada, Department of Surgery, Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital, Ibaraki 305-8558, Japan.
Kentaro
K
Nagai
Naoki Sano, Masayoshi Yamamoto, Kentaro Nagai, Keiichi Yamada, Department of Surgery, Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital, Ibaraki 305-8558, Japan.
Keiichi
K
Yamada
Naoki Sano, Masayoshi Yamamoto, Kentaro Nagai, Keiichi Yamada, Department of Surgery, Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital, Ibaraki 305-8558, Japan.
Nobuhiro
N
Ohkohchi
D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D020878:Device Removal; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D013577:Syndrome; D014140:Tracheotomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery
Acute upper airway obstruction; Long intestinal tube; Nasogastric tube; Nasogastric tube syndrome; Tracheotomy