Lethal esophageal rupture following treatment with Sengstaken-Blakemore tube in management of variceal bleeding: a 10-year autopsy study.

We report six cases of lethal esophageal rupture following treatment with Sengstaken-Blakemore (SB) tube in management of acute variceal bleeding. Esophageal rupture is a known complication to SB tube treatment which unfortunately often is a result of iatrogenic misplacement of the tube. Our report indicates that despite additional guidelines to verify correct placement and new promising treatment modalities, lethal esophageal rupture still occurs. For a proper evaluation of potential malpractice cases we find it important for forensic pathologists to have knowledge of procedures and complications to treatment with SB tube. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation

Trine Skov Nielsen, Annie Vesterby Charles. Lethal esophageal rupture following treatment with Sengstaken-Blakemore tube in management of variceal bleeding: a 10-year autopsy study. Forensic science international. 2012 Oct 10;222(1-3):e19-22

Mesh Tags

PMID: 22721936

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