Anesthetic Management of Iatrogenic Esophageal Perforation

The incidence of esophageal perforation may be increasing as endoscopic procedures are becoming a standard diagnostic technique. Other situations such as vomiting, infection, malignancies may also be associated with esophageal rupture. Presenting symptoms may be non specific but delay in accurate diagnosis carries a high morbidity and mortality. Anesthetic management is critical to survival. A case of esophageal rupture and its management is presented along with a literature review. Kewyords: Esophageal perforation, complications, pneumothorax, respiratory failure, shock.