Small bowel obstruction due to gaseous distention of an intestinal balloon

A case of small bowel obstruction caused by inflation of a sealed, mercury-filled finger cot tipped feeder catheter, used for enteral alimentation, is reported. The patient had infrapapillary duodenal obstruction, secondary to the intramural hematoma caused by blunt abdominal injury. The patient underwent surgery for the obstruction and the distended finger cot was decompressed. The mechanisms for such distention are discussed.