A Bread Bag Clip causing Small Bowel Perforation diagnosed on Computed Tomography

Abstract

ABSTRACT Foreign body ingestion is common, and few result in complications. Plastic bread bag clips are an exception, however, and have been associated with small bowel perforation, upper gastrointestinal bleeding and even fatalities. An 85 year-old woman presented with abdominal pain. She was found to have tenderness on abdominal palpation. She underwent an abdominal CT scan, which demonstrated a plastic bread bag clip as the cause of a contained small bowel perforation. A midline laparotomy and small bowel resection with primary anastomosis was performed. Plastic bread bag clips are a rare cause of small bowel perforation. Elderly patients with dentures are at particular risk of ingesting such clips. This case report describes a rare situation where a clip is identified on preoperative imaging as the cause of a contained small bowel perforation. How to cite this article Coventry C, Bautz P. A Bread Bag Clip causing Small Bowel Perforation diagnosed on Computed Tomography. Panam J Trauma Crit Care Emerg Surg 2016;5(3):169-171.