Abstract

Malpositioning of the nasogastric tube into the airway is one of the most frequent complications and the consequences of improper positioning of the tube in the airways depend on several factors: creation or not of a pleuro-pulmonary fistula, introduction or not of drugs into the tube, the overall clinical condition of the patient. A pneumonia caused by instillation of drugs or a pneumothorax or a mediastinitis may precipitate a clinical situation already basically compromised.

Key words: pneumothorax, nasogastric tube