Medical management of esophageal perforation secondary to esophageal foreign bodies in 5 dogs

Teh, H., Winters, L., James, F., Irwin, P.ORCID: 0000-0002-0006-8262, Beck, C. and Mansfield, C. (2018) Medical management of esophageal perforation secondary to esophageal foreign bodies in 5 dogs. Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, 28 (5). pp. 464-468.

Abstract

Objective
To describe 5 cases of conservative management of substantial esophageal perforation in dogs.

Series Summary
Five dogs presented with an esophageal foreign body (EFB) and resultant esophageal perforation. Clinical signs at presentation included tachycardia, tachypnea, and increased respiratory effort. Thoracic radiography was performed in all cases, and in each case, pleural and mediastinal effusion was present, suggesting esophageal perforation prior to endoscope‐guided removal. A full thickness esophageal defect was visualized after foreign body removal in 4/5 cases. Treatment included IV crystalloid fluid therapy, IV antimicrobials, analgesia, and proton pump inhibitors in all cases. Two dogs had a percutaneous endoscopically placed gastrostomy feeding tube placed and 1 dog received prednisolone sodium succinate IV because of marked pharyngeal inflammation. Complications after EFB removal included pneumothorax (n = 2) and pneumomediastinum (n = 4). Four of the 5 dogs survived to discharge and did not have complications 2–4 weeks following discharge. One dog was euthanized as result of aspiration pneumonia following EFB removal.

New or Unique Information Provided
Traditionally, surgical management of esophageal perforations has been recommended. This can be a costly and invasive procedure and requires a high degree of surgical skill. In this report, conservative management of substantial esophageal perforation in 5 dogs is described; medical management may be a viable treatment option in dogs with perforation of the esophagus due to EFB.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Murdoch Affiliation(s):	School of Education
Publisher:	Blackwell Publishing Inc.
Copyright:	© 2018 Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/41965

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