Gastric distension
Encyclopedia
Gastric Distension is bloating
Bloating
Bloating is any abnormal general swelling, or increase in diameter of the abdominal area. As a symptom, the patient feels a full and tight abdomen, which may cause abdominal pain sometimes accompanied by increased borborygmus or more seriously the total lack of borborygmus.-Symptoms:The most common...

 of the stomach
Stomach
The stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...

 when air is pumped into it. This may be done when someone is performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...

 and blowing air into the mouth of someone who is not breathing spontaneously. The primary reason this occurs is too much air is delivered during rescue breathing.

It may also occur when more advanced medical procedures are performed by emergency or hospital personnel, and air leaks past the opening of the lungs and into the stomach. However this problem can be prevented by inserting a gastric tube and suctioning the air and other stomach contents.

Gastric distension is potentially dangerous since it can cause the contents of the stomach to come up the esophagus
Esophagus
The esophagus is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. During swallowing, food passes from the mouth through the pharynx into the esophagus and travels via peristalsis to the stomach...

 (gullet) and spill back down into the lungs. This can cause drowning, by filling the lungs with fluid, if there has been enough material in the stomach. With lesser material, gastric distension can cause stomach acids to damage the lungs and create a condition known as "aspiration pneumonia
Aspiration pneumonia
Aspiration pneumonia is bronchopneumonia that develops due to the entrance of foreign materials into the bronchial tree, usually oral or gastric contents...

". The other problem this causes is that the expanded stomach will push against the lungs decreasing the amount of air that can be placed into the lungs.

CPR standards issued by the American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...

 suggest that people suffering gastric distension be turned on their sides and the stomach be compressed gently to push out the air bloating the stomach. By turning the individual on their side into what is known as the recovery position, the stomach contents will often continue past the opening of the lungs and drain out the mouth, thus sparing the victim lung damage or the internal drowning which can be caused by large volumes of stomach material getting into the lungs.
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