• Shin Ahn, Won Kim, Chang Hwan Sohn, and Dong Woo Seo.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
• J Emerg Med. 2012 Dec 1;43(6):e451-3.

BackgroundTension viscerothorax is herniation of abdominal viscera into the thorax. Tension viscerothorax can simulate tension pneumothorax. Immediate decompression with a nasogastric tube is required for hemodynamic stabilization.ObjectiveA case of tension viscerothorax is reported along with a review of the literature to highlight this rare complication of blunt abdominal trauma, and to emphasize the importance of nasogastric tube decompression in tension viscerothorax.Case ReportA 10-year-old boy with a remote history of trauma related to a motor vehicle crash was brought into the Emergency Department with a 3-day history of vomiting, epigastric pain, and dyspnea. By physical examination and chest X-ray study, tension gastrothorax was diagnosed. Nasogastric tube placement was difficult and delayed, and the patient deteriorated into cardiac arrest, but after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation and nasogastric tube insertion, the patient was stabilized. Laparotomy was performed and primary repair of a ruptured diaphragm was done. The patient made an uneventful recovery.ConclusionAcute tension viscerothorax should be considered in the differential diagnosis of tension pneumothorax, and its initial resuscitation should include nasogastric tube insertion for immediate decompression.Published by Elsevier Inc.

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