Gastric perforation after cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Review of the literature☆

Received 14 July 2009; received in revised form 13 November 2009; accepted 16 November 2009. published online 11 January 2010.

Abstract

The risk of complications of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) does not outweigh the benefit of a successful restoration of a spontaneous circulation. Despite the frequent occurrence of gastric distension (caused by air entering the stomach because of too forceful and/or too quick rescue breathing), there are few reports of massive gastric distension causing gastric rupture and pneumoperitoneum after CPR. We reviewed all 67 case reports of gastric perforation that have been reported after CPR. Although uncommon, this review stresses the need to consider this potentially lethal complication after initial successful resuscitation.

Keywords: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Gastrointestinal system, Gastric rupture, Pneumoperitoneum, Stomach, Review

a Department of Critical Care Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Wilrijkstraat 10, B-2650 Edegem, Belgium

b Department of Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Wilrijkstraat 10, B-2650 Edegem, Belgium

Corresponding author. Tel.: +32 3 821 36 39; fax: +32 3 828 48 82.

☆ A Spanish translated version of the abstract of this article appears as Appendix in the final online version at doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2009.11.023.

PII: S0300-9572(09)00628-5

doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2009.11.023

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