Presentation
Feeding tube placement.
Patient Data
Feeding tube projects over the right diaphragm, presumably within the right pleural space.
CT confirms tracheobronchial course of the feeding tube with its tip in the right pleural space. Trace right pneumothorax.
A small right pneumothorax is present after feeding tube removal.
Case Discussion
Following feeding tube placement, radiographs are obtained to confirm placement in the GI tract below the diaphragm. If a tube is misplaced within the tracheobronchial tree, it most commonly ends up in the right lung because the right bronchus has a more direct origin than the left bronchus. If a tube is within the lung or the pleural space, a follow-up radiograph after tube removal/repositioning should be obtained to exclude a pneumothorax.
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