Study design: Case report. Objectives: To enhance the early recognition of buried bumper syndrome in patients with tetraplegia requiring percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). Setting: Inpatient unit, Massachusetts, USA. Methods: A 44 year-old man with C2 American Spinal Injury Association grade A tetraplegia with a relatively recent PEG insertion secondary to poor nutritional intake. Results: Several months after PEG placement, patient became febrile, hypotensive and complained of abdominal pain. Plain films showed a dilated bowel suggestive of ileus. Abdominal and pelvic computed tomography with and without contrast revealed PEG tube dislodgement, and a 21 cm  2.8 cm left anterior abdominal wall collection consisting of air and contrast. Upon surgical intervention, the left rectus abdominis sheath and muscle were found to be necrotic. Conclusion: Buried bumper syndrome is a serious complication related to PEG tubes. For many people with tetraplegia, PEG is a life-saving procedure with minimal risks. However, emergencies do occur, making prompt recognition imperative to prevent a fatal sequela.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.