Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with collapsed lungs after feeding tube placed in wrong airway
By Lippert, Briana N et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2023·From the Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Successful Medical Management of Bilateral Pneumothorax Due to Nasogastric Tube Misplacement in a Cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old female spayed domestic shorthair cat was brought in for vomiting after suspected lily ingestion. During treatment, a nasogastric tube was mistakenly placed in her trachea, leading to a serious condition called pneumothorax, where air leaks into the chest cavity. The vet quickly placed tubes in her chest to help remove the air, and after two days of treatment, her condition improved. She was able to go home three days after her admission, recovering well from the incident.
People also search for: cat vomiting lily plant · cat nasogastric tube complications · cat pneumothorax treatment
Abstract
A 7 yr old female spayed domestic shorthair was evaluated for suspected lily ingestion and acute vomiting. The cat had vomited suspected lily plant material before presentation, and a nasogastric tube (NGT) was placed to continue to administer activated charcoal. The NGT was passed with sedation and limited restraint. To confirm placement, a single lateral radiograph was taken, which showed that the tube was in the trachea, bronchus, through the pulmonary parenchyma, and extending into the region of the craniodorsal retroperitoneal space. The tube was subsequently removed, resulting in a tension pneumothorax. Bilateral thoracostomy tubes were placed and attached to continuous suction. The pneumothorax resolved after 2 days, the thoracostomy tubes were removed, and the cat was discharged on day 3 after admission. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first described pneumothorax complication with successful medical management secondary to routine nasogastric tube placement in a cat. This case report underscores the importance of preparedness for thoracostomy tube placement before removal of any NGT that has been confirmed to be placed through the pulmonary parenchyma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37883675/