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Aerophagia in a toddler with gastric pull-up: an unusual combination precipitating severe respiratory distress

Prakhar Gyanesh1, Amit Rastogi

  • 1Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India. prakhargyan@gmail.com

Pediatric Emergency Care
|December 11, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Aerophagia, or excessive air swallowing, can cause acute gastric dilatation and respiratory distress in toddlers. Prompt diagnosis and gastric decompression effectively resolved symptoms in a child with a history of gastric surgery.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Pediatric Surgery

Background:

  • Aerophagia is a common condition in children, often overlooked, potentially leading to severe gastric dilatation and respiratory distress.
  • Acute gastric dilatation in toddlers can be a medical emergency requiring prompt recognition and intervention.

Observation:

  • A toddler presented with progressive dyspnea 18 months post-gastric pull-up surgery.
  • Symptoms were attributed to aerophagia secondary to excessive crying.

Findings:

  • Diagnosis was established through clinical history, physical examination, and X-ray studies.
  • Gastric decompression via a feeding tube rapidly alleviated respiratory distress.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the importance of considering aerophagia in children with respiratory distress, especially those with prior gastrointestinal surgery.
  • Accurate clinical diagnosis is crucial to avoid unnecessary interventions in emergency settings.
  • Effective management involves simple measures like gastric decompression.

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