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However, after deteriorating on feed commencement, a CT scan of the chest confirmed the tube had perforated the nasopharynx and run parallel to the oesophagus through the mediastinum into the right pleural space. The patient subsequently developed an empyema and pneumothorax, requiring multiple therapeutic interventions and a prolonged hospital stay. This case demonstrates how the routine insertion of an NG tube can lead to serious complications. Additionally, position check CXRs can be difficult to interpret, so the decision to use the tube must be made cautiously by the clinical team.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2023-254771","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,21]],"date-time":"2024-03-21T13:00:35Z","timestamp":1711026035000},"page":"e254771","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Nasogastric tube placement perforating the nasopharynx causing mediastinal passage and feeding into the pleural space"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3438-4837","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Muhammad","family":"Zafran","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Respiratory Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rebecca","family":"Crook","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alexander","family":"Tuck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Atmadeep","family":"Banerjee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025082702221369000_17.3.e254771.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.1177\/145749691210100302","article-title":"Nasoenteric tube complications","volume":"101","author":"Prabhakaran","year":"2012","journal-title":"Scand J Surg"},{"key":"2025082702221369000_17.3.e254771.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1510\/icvts.2005.109488"},{"key":"2025082702221369000_17.3.e254771.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/archotol.134.5.547"},{"key":"2025082702221369000_17.3.e254771.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/cc120"},{"key":"2025082702221369000_17.3.e254771.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/00000542-199807000-00031"},{"key":"2025082702221369000_17.3.e254771.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1726-4901(08)70141-2"},{"key":"2025082702221369000_17.3.e254771.7","unstructured":"CRUK . 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