A looped nasogastric tube impacted in nasal cavity: a case report

Use of nasogastric tubes is a common practice in modern medicine. However, their use entails various complications. At the same time these tubes need regular care and maintenance. Negligence regarding the same can add to the list possible complications. We report a case of an uncared and ignored nasogastric tube in a 22-year-old female which developed a loop and later got impacted in her nasal cavity during tube removal. The patient was referred to the on-call emergency otorhinolaryngology team who attended the patient immediately and assessed this rare complication. Routine tube removal could not be achieved. The tube was then promptly removed by endoscopic guidance under general anaesthesia. The nasal cavity had minimum bleed under endoscopic guidance and removal under vision was achieved. Such cases of nasogastric tube complications underline the importance of tube care as well as the precautions to be taken during their insertion and removal.