Abstract
View Large Image Figure Viewer Download Hi-res image View Large Image Figure Viewer Download Hi-res image View Large Image Figure Viewer Download Hi-res image A 67-year-old woman was transferred to our respiratory care unit because of chronic pulmonary disease that required ventilator assistance via a cuffed tracheostomy tube. Three months after admission, abdominal distention developed, which was partially controlled by nasogastric suction, and gastric contents were aspirated from the tracheostomy tube. A chest radiograph disclosed bilateral pulmonary infiltrates, and a plain radiograph of the abdomen showed marked distention of the stomach (A). Upper endoscopy revealed a 4-cm-long oval defect in the anterior cervical esophagus, with an inflated balloon bulging into the lumen (B). CT demonstrated an overinflated tracheal tube cuff and a communication (C,D; arrows) between the trachea and the esophagus. Surgical repair of the fistula was refused. An endotracheal tube was positioned so that the cuff was below the fistula, and a feeding jejunostomy tube and gastrostomy drainage tube were placed. The general condition of the patient improved temporarily but then deteriorated. She died of pneumonia and sepsis 7 days after discovery of the tracheoesophageal fistula. View Large Image Figure Viewer Download Hi-res image View Large Image Figure Viewer Download Hi-res image
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
