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Two major early complications of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes are infection and perforation of a viscus. Wound-site infections can be reduced dramatically by using pre-procedure antibiotics. Techniques have been developed that decrease risk for perforation, but they don’t eliminate this complication completely. The earliest sign of gastrointestinal perforation is presence of free air in the peritoneum; however, the procedure itself can result in small amounts of free air, even without perforation.
To evaluate the frequency and clinical significance of non–perforation-associated pneumoperitoneum after PEG placement, investigators prospectively evaluated 65 patients (mean age, 78) who were undergoing this procedure at a sing…