A Case of Aerophagia Diagnosed by Multichannel Intraluminal Impedance Monitoring.

Aerophagia is a disorder caused by abnormal accumulation of air in the gastrointestinal tract as a result of repetitive and frequent inflow of air through the mouth. For the diagnosis of this condition, it is difficult to objectively measure the air swallowing. However, multichannel intraluminal impedance monitoring facilitates the differential diagnosis between normal air swallowing and pathologic aerophagia, and can aid in the determination of the frequency and amount of air swallowed. In this report, in addition to a literature review, we describe a case of 36-year-old man with abdominal distension who was diagnosed with aerophagia using esophageal impedance monitoring and was treated with clonazepam.

Air swallowing as a tic.

The authors present a patient with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome who developed abdominal distension and bloating due to air swallowing. We suggest that this air swallowing may have been due to a tic.

Aerophagia and anesthesia: an unusual cause of ventilatory insufficiency in a neonate.

We describe a healthy neonate with abdominal distention, inadequate ventilation, and delayed extubation during anesthesia for minor surgery. Following rectal decompression and successful extubation, extreme abdominal distention recurred postoperatively after ingestion of clear fluids. We elicited a history of frequent and excessive flatus from the parents, and abdominal radiography revealed distended loops of small bowel with small lung volumes suggestive of aerophagia. The differential diagnosis of aerophagia is reviewed, the anesthetic implications discussed, and relevant literature pertaining to this condition summarized.

Abdominal compartment syndrome related to noninvasive ventilation.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) on intra-abdominal pressure. DESIGN AND SETTING: Single case report from a tertiary teaching hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 65-year-old man who experienced a sudden respiratory and cardiovascular collapse during NIPPV. This was caused by gastric overdistension due to aerophagia followed by raised intra-abdominal pressure leading to intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome. RESULTS: The respiratory and cardiovascular problems resolved immediately after the introduction of a nasogastric tube. This resulted in normalization of IAP. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case reported of an abdominal compartment syndrome related to NIPPV. Clinicians should be aware of this possible complication while using NIPPV.

[Children who swallow air]. / Les enfants avaleurs d'air.

UNLABELLED: Gas in the gut derives from swallowed air, intra-luminal production and diffusion from the blood. Excessive swallowed air may cause pathologic aerophagy. CASE REPORTS: This report describes four children aged from 3 to 12 years with pathologic aerophagy due to excessive air swallowing. One of them had a "Gas Bloat Syndrome". Clinical presentation was very incongruous. However, the clinical features were characteristic: abdominal distention increasing throughout the day, associated with visible and often audible air swallowing and excessive flatus. The questioning and clinical examination helped for diagnosing. Medical symptomatic treatment was associated with a psychotherapy approach. CONCLUSION: A better recognition of this condition might contribute towards earlier diagnosis.

Air collection in the retropharyngeal soft tissues observed in lateral expiratory films of the neck in 9 infants.

This is the report of 9 infants in whom a lateral roentgenogram of the neck exposed in expiration showed an increase in the thickness of the retropharyngeal soft tissues with a small collection of air within these soft tissues simulating a retropharyngeal abscess. Both findings disappeared in inspiration consistent with normal variants.

Hyperventilation and aerophagia: a negative report.

Aerophagia is described as a frequent symptom in the hyperventilation syndrome. However, this has never been substantiated. In this study the extent of air swallowing was estimated from the size of the gastric air-bubble on the chest X-ray, in a group of 62 hyperventilators and in a group of 62 normals. No differences were found between the mean amounts of gastric air in the two groups. Women in both groups seemed to swallow more air than men. The amount of air was not related to the time of the day (meals). In 15 hyperventilators the subjective complaints of upper abdominal discomfort and of chest pain were quantified: no correlation was found with the amount of gastric air.

Air esophagogram: a frequent observation in goiters.

Air esophagograms have been described in normal individuals and in association with esophageal disease or respiratory distress. In a study of neck radiographs in 160 patients with goiter, air esophagograms were observed in 24 (15%). The continuous irritation of the enlarged thyroid on the trachea is thought to excite intermittent aerophagy, and accounts for the frequent demonstration of air within the esophagus.