Posterior nasal packing, spontaneous perforation of the esophagus and gram negative septicemia: Report of a case

A posterior nasal pack was inserted to control epistaxis. Four days later a spontaneous esophageal perforation with gram negative septicemia and shock resulted in the patient's rapid demise. These entities have not previously been reported in association with posterior nasal packing. A brief discussion is given of the symptomatology and treatment of these conditions, as well as the influence of antibiotics on the nasopharyngeal flora and its possible role in the production of gram negative sepsis.