A case of accidental transtracheal gastric passage of feeding tube in esophageal atresia with distal tracheo esophageal fistula: a rare occurrence

Esophageal atresia is a congenital anomaly which is usually diagnosed by the inability to pass a feeding tube into the stomach, associated with respiratory distress and excessive frothing from the mouth. Here we report a case of a 1 day old 2.5 kg female child who presented with respiratory distress and excessive salivation, with passage of infant feeding tube into the stomach initially, and not subsequently, in a case of esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula. EA can almost be ruled out if the feeding tube can be passed into the stomach. In EA with distal tracheo-esophageal fistula there can be a rare possibility of feeding tube entering the stomach, which is only possible through the trachea and the distal fistula. Here we report this rare occurrence, which led to a delay in diagnosis. Similar clinical situations can be avoided by routinely using a stiff rubber catheter instead of a soft feeding tube for the diagnosis of EA and TEF.