Intracranial Complication During Insertion of a Nasogastric Tube

Insertion of a nasogastric tube is not without hazards. One of the most serious is inadvertent intracranial placement. Of 11 previously reported cases [1-8], all occurred in patients who had craniofacial or maxillofacial trauma. We report a case of inadvertent intracranial compl ication directly related to the placement of a nasogastric tube in a patient who had no history of head trauma. Case Report An attempt was made to insert a nasogastric tube through the right nares of a 45-year-old woman who had been vomiting for 2 weeks. She was fully alert, cooperative, and oriented before the procedure and had no known history of previous head trauma. Resistance was encountered during placement of the tube, and moderate amounts of bright red blood returned through the tube. Repeated injections of air were made through the tube, but no air sounds could be heard in the epigastrium. As the tube was advance