J Emerg Med
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Case Reports
"Paramedics are bringing in a hypotensive gastrointestinal bleeder": an unexpected diagnosis.
Acute esophageal rupture is a rare emergency that must be diagnosed quickly and treated aggressively to avoid significant morbidity and mortality. The typical presentation of this disease includes chest pain, and the diagnosis is challenging when cardinal features such as this are absent. ⋯ The esophageal rupture and subsequent hypotension was likely secondary to the combination of her Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and recent vomiting episodes. It is important to avoid premature diagnostic closure and think about unusual presentations of emergent conditions such as esophageal rupture.