NONOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT OF GASTRIC PERFORATION SECONDARY TO CARDIOPULMONARY-RESUSCITATION

We report the case of a 72-year-old male who suffered a cardiac arrest during an early positive treadmill stress test. After successful resu scitation the patient had evidence of a gastric perforation. Because o f his hemodynamic stability, lack of peritoneal signs, and prohibitive ly high surgical risk, a non-operative management approach was success fully administered. Although not the standard approach to traumatic ga stric perforation, this case is not unlike the management of peptic ul cer perforations. A non-operative approach should be considered as an option in selected patients.