Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Nasoenteric feeding tube accidentally placed in brain of anesthetized
By Gianolli, Federico et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2025·Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Inadvertent Insertion of a Nasoenteric Feeding Tube Into the Brain of an Anesthetized Persian Cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old Persian cat was brought in for emergency surgery to remove a blocked gallbladder. After the surgery, the vet attempted to place a feeding tube through the cat's nose to help with nutrition. Unfortunately, the tube was accidentally inserted into the cat's brain instead, leading to breathing problems and a lack of consciousness. Despite efforts to diagnose the issue, the cat was found to have brain lesions from the tube insertion, and due to the poor prognosis, the decision was made to euthanize the cat.
People also search for: cat feeding tube complications · Persian cat surgery risks · cat breathing problems after surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the inadvertent insertion of a tube intended for nasogastric placement into the brain of an anesthetized brachycephalic cat. CASE SUMMARY: A 7-year-old Persian cat underwent a cholecystectomy for emergency surgical management of biliary obstruction, with postoperative placement of a nasogastric tube planned for nutritional support. General anesthesia with spontaneous breathing was administered, and the surgical procedure was performed without adverse events. At the end of the surgical procedure, while the anesthetized cat was in dorsal recumbency, a 5-French polyurethane nasogastric tube with a stylet was inserted into the right nostril. Immediately after insertion, the patient experienced apnea and required hemodynamic and ventilatory support. Because the tube could not be palpated in the stomach, apnea persisted, and the patient ultimately failed to regain consciousness, a CNS lesion was suspected, and magnetic resonance imaging of the head was performed. Lesions consistent with nasogastric tube insertion into the brain were diagnosed, and because the prognosis was believed to be grave, the cat was euthanized. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: Few reports of nasoenteric tube insertion into the brain of humans are available. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a nasoenteric tube insertion into the brain of a dog or cat.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40884763/