Tension pneumothorax secondary to nasojejunal feeding tube misplacement in a mechanically ventilated dog

An 11-year-old female terrier-cross underwent general anaesthesia and mechanical ventilation for insulinoma resection. Following tumour removal, three consecutive but unsuccessful attempts were made to place a wire-guided nasojejunal feeding tube (NJFT), using both nostrils, with one tube eventually left in situ in the right nostril. A final successful attempt using a smaller NJFT was made via the left nostril. On withdrawal of the previously, unsuccessfully placed NJFT, the dog developed an acute tension pneumothorax. Severe cardiorespiratory dysfunction ensued, including decreasing arterial haemoglobin O2 saturation, increasing end-tidal CO2, hypotension and tachycardia. Immediate thoracocentesis with air evacuation from the pleural cavity followed by continuous air drainage through bilateral thoracostomy tubes produced marked improvement of cardiorespiratory function. During exploratory thoracotomy performed 1 day later, two lung lesions were identified and over sewn, one in the right middle lobe and the other in the accessory lobe.

This is the first case report to describe in an anaesthetised and mechanically ventilated dog the occurrence and management of a tension pneumothorax as a life-threatening complication secondary to parenchymal injury after NJFT misplacement into the tracheobronchial tree. It illustrates that presence of a cuffed endotracheal tube does not protect against passing a NJFT into the bronchial system.