Medium urgency
-Moderately severe
It is the rupture of the esophagus, which is the portion of the digestive tract that goes from the mouth to the stomach.
The most frequent cause is perforation secondary to a medical procedure.
It manifests with retrosternal chest pain (sometimes cervical pain) and difficulty in swallowing.
Diagnosis is made by detailed clinical history and physical examination, confirmed by imaging tests such as chest X-ray and/or CT scan.
Initial treatment is aimed at stabilizing the patient's clinical situation and relieving pain; at the same time, the cause and complications should be treated.
- Michael J Cahalane. Overview of gastrointestinal tract perforation. UpToDate, Mar 01, 2016.
- Singh NP, Rizk JG. Oesophageal perforation following ingestion of over-the-counter ibuprofen capsules. J Laryngol Otol 2008; 122:864.
- María García Ávila, Ángel Blanco Bravo. Perforación de víscera hueca. Manual de protocolos y actuación en urgencias. Hospital Virgen de la Salud, Complejo Hospitalario de Toledo. Tercera edición. Pág: 496.
- F. Mearin Manrique. Enfermedades del esófago. Farreras Rozman. Medicina Interna. Volumen II. Duodécima edición. 40:56.
- Peter J. Kahrilas, Ikuo Hirano. Enfermedades del esófago. Perforación esofágica. Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna. Volumen 2. 19ª Edición. 1910:1911.
Dr. Oscar Garcia-Esquirol
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