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The different types of vagotomy are highly standardized, but show a typical spectrum of complications, injuries of spleen (1 to 4%) and liver, perforation of the oesophagus (0,5 to 1,0%) intraoperative bleeding, lesions of the pleura (0,5%), necrosis of the lesser curvature of the stomach, chylothorax and chyloperitoneum. The article deals with avoidance and successful treatment of such intraoperative lesions.

A prospective study designed specifically to analyze errors in management and iatrogenic complications was conducted on 234 consecutive patients with penetrating chest trauma. Eleven percent of penetrating pleural injuries were incorrectly diagnosed on initial physical and radiologic examination, but this led to wrong management decisions in only 4 percent. Decisions regarding intercostal tube drainage were particularly inaccurate when emergency intubation was required prior to chest radiography. Atypical clinical features of penetrating cardiac injuries caused delay in diagnosis and thoracotomy in 3 of 14 patients. Only two of four mediastinal vascular injuries were recognized on initial examination. Transdiaphragmatic injuries were initially missed in 5 of 14 patients. This resulted in management errors and delay in these patients. Awareness of atypical presentations and circumstances in which misjudgments and wrong decisions are prone to occur should help to avoid pitfalls and reduce mortality from penetrating chest trauma.

Initial management of the seriously injured animal involves the immediate recognition of life-threatening abnormalities and prompt resuscitation based on priorities of care. Of equal importance to the ultimate survival of the animal is an aggressive approach to the diagnosis and control of the complications and sequelae of injury. This approach to patient care requires constant attention to details, but offers the most efficient management of these critically ill animals.

Enteral tube feeding is an attractive alternative to intravenous alimentation for nutritional support. As previously used nasogastric tubes have been replaced with narrow-bore nasogastric tubes, the spectrum of complications seen with these devices has changed. We report a previously undescribed event associated with narrow-bore nasogastric tube feeding, review the literature, noting predisposing factors and complications, and suggest guidelines to avoid pitfalls of insertion and the ensuing adverse effects.

Pneumothorax following subclavian venipuncture is a well-known risk. Less well recognized is the potential for life-threatening bilateral pneumothoraces occurring at the time of subclavian vein catheterization in patients who have previously undergone median sternotomy. Inadvertent bilateral pleural entry at the time of sternotomy may result in a common pleural space which subsequently places the patient in special jeopardy when the complication of pneumothorax occurs. This report documents the successful management of this important sequence of complications associated with now widely applied therapeutic interventions.

The decision to insert an intercostal drain in chest injury must occasionally be made without a chest radiograph. A prospective analysis of the reliability of physical examination in penetrating pleural injuries was undertaken. A total of 51 consecutive patients were examined before obtaining a chest radiograph. The presumptive diagnosis and decision to institute intercostal drainage were compared with the radiological diagnosis and the actual decision in each patient. A policy of selective drainage of large pleural collections was employed. The series consisted mainly of stab injuries in young men. Physical examination accurately diagnosed 13 of the 14 large pneumo- or haemothoraces. This reliability combined with the selective drainage policy showed that physical examination accurately predicted the need for tube thoracostomy with a sensitivity of 96 per cent and a specificity of 93 per cent. This study suggests that experienced clinicians should not hesitate to institute immediate life-saving intercostal drainage when needed, before a chest radiograph is obtained.

A child developed an infected hydrothorax and respiratory distress 3 years after the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The distal catheter had penetrated the right pleural space via retrohepatic transdiaphragmatic migration.

A 21-year old patient developed paraplegia and a subarachnoid-pleural fistula, as a result of gunshot injury. Successful surgical repair of the fistula was achieved via a transthoracic approach.

Percutaneous insertion of central venous catheter (CVC) is a valuable procedure in managing critically ill patients. However, placement of CVC is not without its complications. The author reports a case in which a CVC was inserted into the right pleural cavity which was not detected by the usual clinical methods of confirming catheter placement and an antero-posterior (A-P) chest x-ray.

The authors observed 298 patients with myasthenia who had been subjected to thymectomy. Complications during operation were as follows: injuries of the mediastinal pleura, pericardium, humerocephalic vein and hemothorax. The improvement of preoperative preparation, methods of thymectomy have decreased complications from 19% to 7%.

The use of a new narrow bore nasogastric feeding tube with stylet has resulted in two cases of misplacement with traumatic laceration of the visceral pleura. Diagnoses were made by chest x-ray film, one case immediately and the other 24 hours later. In both cases, the narrow bore tube was inserted asymptomatically by a graduate physician. Detailed case reports of both patients are presented, those patients at risk for abnormal placement of this nasogastric tube are discussed, and new guidelines for safer use are proposed.

The complications of central venous catheterization are discussed in a review of experience and of the literature. The anatomy surrounding the subclavian and internal jugular veins is described. Indications and contraindications of catheterization are reported. Common and unusual complications are discussed and illustrated. Laceration of pleura, subclavian artery puncture, hematoma, catheter malposition, fragment embolization, air embolism, venous thrombosis, and infection are included. The radiologist is responsible for recognizing immediate, as well as delayed, complications of central venous catheterization.

An analysis of clinical observations shows the successful treatment of most patients with open pneumothorax to be possible under conditions of urgent suturing of the wound defect of the chest, drainage of the pleural cavity and antishock therapy. Thoracotomy is necessary for a small amount of the patients.

Traumatic subarachnoid-pleural fistulas are rare. We found nine cases reported since 1959. Seven have been secondary to trauma and two following thoracotomy. One patient's death is thought to be directly related to the fistula. The diagnosis should be suspected in patients with a pleural effusion and associated vertebral trauma. The diagnosis can usually be confirmed with contrast or radioisotopic myelography. Successful closure of the fistula will usually occur spontaneously with closed tube drainage and antibiotics; occasionally, thoracotomy is necessary to close the rent in the dura.