Fatal Enteral Nutritional Hydrothorax Resulting From Aberrant Placement of a Nasogastric Tube Without Perforation of the Tracheobronchial Tree or Esophagus: A Case Report and Review.

Abstract

Nasogastric feeding tubes are commonly used in medical practice to provide nutritional support to patients who cannot take in an adequate amount of food orally. Although rare, nasogastric tubes errantly placed into the respiratory tract may cause serious complications, including death. We present an unusual autopsy case of a fatal hydrothorax that consisted of the enteric feeding solution following placement of a small-bore feeding tube into the left lung, despite no perforation of the tracheobronchial tree or esophagus. Alternative mechanisms for the formation of an enteral nutritional hydrothorax in the absence of a perforation from a feeding tube can be explained by the properties of the fluid, increased alveolar permeability, and underlying lung damage.